By Brandi Makuski

A Stevens Point man has been charged with his ninth OWI offense after a traffic stop on Hwy HH.

Brian Matke, 50, is facing charges of felony bail-jumping and OWI, ninth offense. Deputies also discovered a black smoking pipe in his vehicle. It was not immediately clear if he would face charges for drug paraphernalia.

According to the criminal complaint traveling westbound on County Hwy. HH shortly at 9:22 PM on Dec. 29 when his vehicle merged into the eastbound lane and then left the road, landing in a ditch. A caller reported seeing Matke’s truck go off the road.

Deputies found Matke uninjured, conscious and alert. When he was asked to step towards to the road for a field sobriety test, Matke replied, “Are you kidding me?”, according to the complaint.

Matke had been under a court order to refrain from operating a motor vehicle due to a suspended license, and to refrain from consuming alcohol, due to a previous charge of battery to law enforcement officers/firefighters/commission wardens. He had been out on a $5,000 signature bond at the time of his arrest on Dec. 30.

Matke remains behind bars. It was not immediately known when he would appear in court.