APPLETON, Wis. (AP) -- A man convicted of his 13th drunken driving charge has been sentenced in Outagamie County to nearly nine years in prison.
Judge Mark McGinnis told 58-year-old Gerald Blasczyk the community needs to be protected from him.
A criminal complaint says Blasczyk drove his Jeep and trailer into a ditch in the Town of Seymour where a passerby found him slumped over the wheel. Blasczyk came to and sped away. The passerby called authorities and Blasczyk was arrested a short time later. Police say his blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit.
McGinnis sentenced Blasczyk to eight years and nine months in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release. WLUK-TV says Blasczyk's 13 convictions from four states occurred since 1991.
