Sonics' Lewis charged with October DUI

SEATTLE – Seattle Sonics forward Rashard Lewis was charged Monday with driving under the influence of alcohol after being pulled over by a State Patrol trooper more than two months ago.

In charging documents, King County prosecutors said that Lewis, 26, was driving a BMW in a convoy of other vehicles that were speeding on eastbound Interstate90 toward Mercer Island shortly before 3 a.m. on Oct. 1 when he and the driver of another vehicle were pulled over. The trooper noticed there was a strong odor of alcohol coming from the BMW driven by Lewis, which also had two passengers, according to a State Patrol report.

Lewis, who reportedly told police he'd had only one drink, agreed to perform sobriety tests, according to the report. But the report notes he "had a hard time standing in one place prior to taking tests" and had to "take steps to regain his balance."

According to police, Lewis and the drivers of a Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Impala and a Cadillac were all hitting speeds of 84 mph when the BMW and the Explorer were pulled over. The posted speed limit on that stretch of I-90 is 60 mph. According to police and prosecutors, Lewis had a blood alcohol level of .132, above the state's legal limit of .08, about an hour after he was pulled over.

Prosecutors said driving while under the influence is a gross misdemeanor which brings a minimum of one day in jail, up to a $5,000 fine and a mandatory 90-day license suspension. An arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 19 in the Northeast Division of King County District Court in Redmond.