Lake Orion police officers arrested a woman for operating while intoxicated (OWI) around 1 a.m., Aug. 7. When the Lake Orion Police Department (LOPD) ran a background check, the woman, Rene F. Perczuk, appeared to have only one previous OWI conviction.
Upon further investigation, officers discovered the woman was convicted of at least six more offenses in the last 21 years under several different names.
Typically, after multiple OWI convictions, a driver’s license is suspended. But because of an error by the Michigan Department of State, Perczuk’s driving record did not follow her through marriages, divorces and name changes, according to Police Chief Jerry Narsh.
‘This was good police search work,? Narsh said. ‘Six names with difference licenses and it’s all the same person.?
Because of cases like Perczuk’s, the State of Michigan is changing driver’s license policy. Currently, a license number changes to reflect the driver’s last name changes. Effective Sept. 12, numbers will always stay the same, regardless of name changes, according to Narsh.
‘This [Perczuk] case exemplifies why,? said Narsh. ‘You can see that it is a problem. That’s a dangerous driver, and under Michigan law, it’s a fourth third offense.?
LOPD officers arrested Perczuk after narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with her vehicle.
Officer Chris Mires was driving with a reserve officer in his patrol car.
Narsh recalls the reserve officer saying, ‘this is going to hurt,? upon seeing Perczuk’s vehicle coming toward them. Mires quickly maneuvered the patrol car out of the way.
Perczuk was arraigned Aug. 8. She remains incarcerated, being unable to post a $5,000 cash bond.
She faces one to five years in prison and a $500 to $5,000 fine if convicted of the OWI offense.
‘Driving history will be key in her sentencing if she’s convicted,? Narsh said.
Perczuk also faces two counts of driving with license suspended.