By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer 

A 38-year-old Prior Lake man was arrested and jailed for his fourth driving while impaired DWI incident within a 10-year period in the 16700 block of Highway 13 on July 13.

According to the criminal complaint, this is the sixth time the man has been arrested for DWI in his lifetime.

Christopher Paul Jolitz was charged with first-degree DWI, a felony, driving after cancellation, violation of a restricted driver’s license, driving after revocation, hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle and no insurance in Scott County Court this week.

Police responded to a hit-and-run accident in the parking lot of Prior Lake Laundry, 16731 Highway 13 at approximately 11:15 a.m. on July 13.

According to the criminal complaint, Jolitz hit a parked vehicle while pulling into a parking space, he then moved his car to another parking space, walked into the store and placed his laundry into a machine. Jolitz then left the scene without identifying himself or exchanging insurance information with the owner of the car he hit.

The officer remained at the scene and Jolitz later returned to the parking lot in the same car and began walking toward his laundry. A witness identified Jolitz as the man driving the car at the time of the accident. The officer asked Jolitz to stop, but he kept walking, according to the criminal complaint.

Once Jolitz stopped, the officer smelled an “alcohol-type beverage” on his breath. Jolitz eyes were bloodshot and watery, according to police. Jolitz performed poorly on field-sobriety tests and failed a digital preliminary breath test with a reading of .319, according to the criminal complaint.

Jolitz was arrested and jailed at the Prior Lake Police Department where he submitted a urine sample in a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) approved test kit. The sample was delivered to the BCA for analysis. The results of the test are pending.

If convicted, Jolitz faces a maximum of nine years and 360 days in prison and or a fine of $23,000.

 Shawn Hogendorf can be reached at (952) 345-6374 or shogendorf@swpub.com.