Blood test shows driver had 54 times the legal limit for pot, troopers say

Results from a blood test showed a Lynnwood man booked for driving under the influence had more than 54 times the legal limit of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his blood.

At 6:20 p.m. May 20, a Washington State Patrol trooper arrested a 53-year-old man on suspicion of DUI.

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The WSP says the man is also believed to be the driver of a car involved in a hit-and-run collision at 175th Street and I-5, near the King County/Snohomish County line, 20 minutes before he was stopped.

Witnesses called 911 to report the hit-and-run driver and followed his vehicle until troopers could pull him over.

The trooper, along with a Lynnwood police officer, pulled the driver over at 176th Street in Lynnwood. Officers say the driver showed signs of intoxication.

The trooper obtained and executed a blood warrant.

In July, the toxicology lab sent back the Lynnwood man's blood results which revealed the driver's THC levels to be 270 nanograms. The legal limit for adults over 21 years old is five nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood. That's 54 times over the legal limit for marijuana in Washington State.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission says that in 2015, marijuana-positive drivers were involved in 91 of the states 499 fatal crashes.

In 2013, KIRO 7 had volunteers smoke marijuana and then put them behind the wheel to show what stoned driving looks like and the danger on the road.

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