Drunken Tractor Chase Gets Shirtless Man Charged With DUI, Assault

A Michigan man is facing serious charges after leading police on a bizarre low-speed chase atop a John Deere tractor.

Officers with the Cheboygan Department of Public Safety responded to a report of a shirtless man driving a tractor through a residential neighborhood. They found 35-year-old Joshua Viau operating the tractor allegedly while intoxicated, reports the Cheybogan Daily Tribune.

But then, what could have just been another notable DUI arrest took a turn for the strange(r).

Low-Speed Tractor Chase

When officers arrived on the scene, they activated their sirens and lights. Officers reported that the suspect turned around, saw them, then made a U-turn on a side street and headed straight for them, swerving at them as he passed in an unsuccessful attempt to hit their vehicle.

The tractor operator then circled back around, attempting again to strike the patrol vehicle, police say. By then, backup had arrived and Vieau took aim at the second patrol car, striking it and tipping his tractor over.

Vieau tried to run away and fought with officers before they deployed their Tasers and took him into custody. Along with DUI, Vieau was charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, felony resisting arrest, and one count of fleeing and eluding officers, also a felony under Michigan law.

You can see pictures of the tractor chase aftermath in this report from Northern Michigan's WWTV:

DUI: Not Just for Cars

Although DUI arrests are typically associated with the type of cars and trucks driven every day on the highway, the different ways of getting busted for DUI are as numerous as there are vehicles. Here are just a few examples:

• Wheelchair DUI. DUI charges don't discriminate against disabled people in motorized wheelchairs.
• Horse-and-buggy DUI. DUI charges also don't discriminate on the basis of religion, as shown by the Amish man arrested in Pennsylvania for a DUI behind the wheel... or perhaps rope... of his horse-and-buggy.
• BUI (Boating Under the Influence). Even though boats don't have wheels, BUI charges are every bit as serious as DUI charges.

Whatever mode of transportation you use, if you're charged with DUI, an experienced DUI lawyer can help.

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Related Resources:

• Michigan Man Facing a Number of Charges After Leading Police on Tractor Chase While Drunk (UPI)
• DUI Law (FindLaw)
• Erin Brockovich Busted for Boating DUI (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
• Segway DUI? Not in Minnesota, Court Rules (FindLaw's Legally Weird)