A 54-year-old Thompson Falls man was arrested last Friday and charged with aggravated driving under the influence.

According to Officer Jacob Winslow with the Thompson Falls Police Department, he was traveling west on Maiden Avenue in Thompson Falls behind the courthouse when a vehicle ran a stop sign at the intersection with Madison Street. Officer Winslow said the vehicle began to slide uncontrollably onto Maiden Avenue, almost striking his patrol car. It was dark and the roads were snowpacked at the time of the incident, he stated.

The driver, who's name was not released, was stopped for the stop sign violation. Upon further investigation, Officer Winslow determined that the driver was impaired.

The driver was arrested and taken to the Sanders County Detention Facility and charged with a stop sign violation and aggravated DUI for

being almost three times the legal limit of blood alcohol content, Winslow stated. The driver could face a $1,000 fine and up to 364 days in jail if convicted.