LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Tuesday Lakeport Police officers arrested a Lakeport woman for drunk driving, later finding out her blood alcohol level was five times the legal limit.

Angela Fife, 44, who has several previous DUIs on her record, was taken into custody early Tuesday evening, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said that at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday an off-duty Lakeport Police officer was driving a personal vehicle on Lakeshore Boulevard in the 2000 block when the officer saw a silver Chevrolet Impala driving south on Lakeshore Boulevard and noticed it was weaving and in the bicycle lane and on the roadway shoulder.

Rasmussen said the officer then saw the vehicle go into the opposite lane head on toward another vehicle.

Not being able to stop the Impala, the officer called in the vehicle and requested assistance for a drunk driver stop. While waiting for other LPD officers, Rasmussen said the off-duty officer continued to follow the Impala and make observations.

Rasmussen said the Impala continued to travel dangerously and in the area of South Main Street and Lupoyoma Avenue it went through a crosswalk with a pedestrian trying to cross.

On-duty officers were responding in an emergency manner in order to get into position to stop the Impala and were able to stop it in the 300 Block of Lakeport Boulevard, Rasmussen said.

The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Fife, who officers determined was in fact intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of .40 percent. Rasmussen said that level is five times .08 percent, which is the limit where a person is presumed to be intoxicated while driving in California.

Because of her high blood alcohol content, Fife had to be taken to a local hospital for medical clearance before she could be booked into the jail, Rasmussen said.

After clearance, Fife was transported to the Lake County Jail and booked for driving under the influence, driving with .08 percent or more alcohol in the blood, driving with alcohol in the blood while on probation for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a driver's license suspended for a previous driving under the influence arrest, for having a third driving under the influence arrest within the past 10 years, for driving a vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock device as previously ordered by a court to insure she did not drive while under the influence and for an outstanding warrant from Sonoma County for driving with a license suspended for driving under the influence, according to Rasmussen’s report.

“We appreciate our officers’ work to remove as many intoxicated drivers as we can from our roadways and are glad this driver was not able to hurt or kill someone,” Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said that during the the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year season his agency tends to see increases in drunk driving.

As such, Rasmussen said the Lakeport Police Department will be increasing its efforts to arrest drunk drivers.

“We ask for the public’s assistance in being alert for drunk drivers and calling 911 to report them when observed,” he said.