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Drunk Man's Blood-Alcohol Level Might Be A Record

VALPARAISO, Ind. (STMW) -- A northwest Indiana man was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, after being found unconscious along the side of the road with a blood-alcohol level of 0.552 percent, the Post-Tribune is reporting.

This may be the new record for Porter County, said Sgt. Larry LaFlower of the Porter County Sheriff's Department. Individuals tend to fall into a coma at about 0.40 percent and death is possible, according to guidelines from Indiana University.

At about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, a 45-year-old Westville woman saw James Henderson, 28, lying at the intersection of Edgewater Beach Road and Agape Lane, just north of Valparaiso, with an unknown woman sitting beside him.

The witness stopped and called 911 when she passed back the same way about 15 minutes later and saw he was lying in the same position, but now alone. Henderson had several bruises and, when he was wakened during treatment, made a barely coherent statement about being struck by a vehicle, police said, although they have not confirmed that happened.

Once he is released from Porter hospital, police expect the Valparaiso resident to be charged with public intoxication. He has a history of alcohol-related arrests.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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