Polson man pleads guilty to eighth DUI

A Polson man, facing DUI number eight, entered a plea of guilty to the amended charge of felony criminal endangerment. Craig Britton, 56, entered the plea during a hearing in District Court in Polson Oct. 30.

The parties agreed to waive a pre-sentence investigation and proceeded directly to sentencing. Judge Molly Owen committed Britton to the Montana Department of Corrections for three years, with all but time served of 98 days suspended.

According to court records, on July 25, the driver of an ambulance in Polson contacted law enforcement to report an erratic driver tailgating the ambulance. Law enforcement located the suspect’s vehicle on 13th Ave. E. in Polson and spoke to its driver, identified as Britton.

The officer also noticed a bottle of booze in the vehicle. An investigation led to a preliminary breath test that showed Britton’s blood alcohol content at .118.

The three-year suspended term will run consecutively to nine months Britton is serving on an escape conviction from another jurisdiction.