Mesa Man Gets Two DUIs . . . In the Same Day

Police say Joseph Cummings was arrested twice yesterday for DUI. Well. lesson learned we guess...twice.

​While we would never encourage driving drunk, sometimes even smart people "slip up." However, to "slip up" twice in the same day probably means you're a complete nitwit.

A traditional Labor Day is Mesa is full of picnics, parties, and, of course, DUI checkpoints. Yesterday was no different -- except that police say a man blew threw a checkpoint on Power Road and led authorities on a high-speed chase along the 202.

What would prompt someone to cruise through a DUI checkpoint, and lead police on a chase reaching speeds of 120 miles per hour? A lot of booze and his being arrested less than two hours earlier for extreme DUI might do the trick.

According to police, 23-year-old Joseph Cummings was pulled over about 3:30 p.m. on Bush Highway and Granite Reef Dam Road, on suspicion of DUI.  

Cummings was found to be more than twice the legal limit.

After his initial arrest, police released him because he had no priors, and was cooperative. They even gave him a ride to a location only a few miles from where his car sat, waiting to be towed.

Rather than grab a cab, Cummings grabbed his car. Then, authorities say, rather than stop at a police checkpoint he encountered less than two hours later, Cummings drive right by it and lead authorities on the chase.

Cummings was ultimately caught, and charged with several crimes, including a felony count of unlawful flight from a law-enforcement vehicle.

This time, rather than essentially dropping the drunk man off at his car, police thought it would be better to hang on to him, at least until he sobered up. He was booked into a Maricopa County jail.