40-Year-Old Louisiana Man Arrested for 4th DWI After Reportedly Drinking at a Local Bar and in His Vehicle

A 40-year-old Louisiana man has been arrested for 4th DWI after he was reportedly drinking at a local bar and in his vehicle before driving.

Lake Charles, Louisiana – The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO) stated on February 17, 2023, that deputies were dispatched to the area around Lincoln Road and Gulf Highway in Lake Charles, Louisiana, at approximately 1:30 a.m., in response to a 911 call concerning a vehicle driving all over the roadway.

Authorities stopped the vehicle on Airhart Road after they found it was driving without headlights. Deputies encountered the driver, Stephen A. Snider, 40, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and detected a strong stench of alcoholic beverages emanating from his breath and person.  Deputies also noticed his unstable stance and slurred speech.
Snider then reportedly told deputies that he was leaving a nearby bar and had been drinking inside his vehicle prior to leaving. Snider was later discovered to be driving while suspended, and further inquiry revealed that the license plate of the vehicle he was driving did not match the registration.

Snider, who has three previous DWI convictions in the last decade and eight prior convictions since 2001, rejected standard field sobriety tests. He was arrested and requested to comply to a breathalyzer test, which he also refused.
Authorities obtained a warrant to draw his blood, and he was brought to a nearby hospital.

Snider was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center after hospital personnel obtained the blood sample and charged with DWI 4th, operating a vehicle while under suspension, lighted lamps required, and violations of registration provisions.

Judge Tony Fazzio set his bond at $67,700 with special conditions that he cannot operate a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, must wear an alcohol-detecting ankle bracelet, must be subject to random drug screenings, cannot commit any other crimes; no contact with known drug users or convicted felons; must adhere to a curfew; and no driving without a valid license.

Deputy Tyler Moses of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office is the arresting officer in this instance.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.