ASHWAUBENON (NBC26) — It's not every day someone is able to share a story of recovery with the police officer who arrested them for drunken driving.
That's what happened to Green Bay resident Dalice Metoxen, now 23. The incident happened in October 2018.
“I was drinking a lot when I first moved here from Milwaukee," Metoxen said. "I had been at a bar one night and I got into my car to drive to my mom's.”
While driving, Metoxen pulled to the side of the road when she heard a strange sound coming from her vehicle.
“I had basically drove the tire off and had been driving on a rim," Metoxen said.
She didn't know her car had been hit while she was at the bar. Metoxen said a "concerned citizen" followed behind her and called 911.
“I remember getting this call as a reckless driver," said K-9 officer Mackenzie Teske, Ashwaubenon Public Safety. “I could tell that she was under the influence of alcohol or some narcotic.”
Teske said he spoke to Metoxen outside her vehicle. He performed a field sobriety test on Metoxen, which she failed. He also found an open alcoholic container inside the car.
Teske arrested Metoxen for driving under the influence.
“I did not go very easy," Metoxen said. "I was pretty angry. I was obviously belligerent."
Metoxen said she had a BAC of .224. It is illegal for a Wisconsin driver to operate a vehicle with a BAC over .08.
“I made the wrong decision, but I learned from it," she said.
Metoxen spent several months in jail after her arrest. She was also required to attend AA courses and receive counseling.
Not long after her release, Metoxen said she decided to turn her life around.
She's now working a full time job and going to school part-time for human services.
“Oddly enough I was very inspired by my AOD counselor and how she helped me work through my situation," Metoxen said. "I’m hoping one day I can do maybe do some of the same for somebody else."
Metoxen ran into Teske at Dave and Busters recently. That's when she told him how that one night in October changed her life for the better.
She shared this meeting on Facebook:
**REPOST** I deleted this post the day after I originally posted it, not because I wasn’t proud, but because of some...
Posted by Dalice Metoxen on Monday, April 5, 2021
“It was a good story," Teske said. "I enjoyed hearing it and knowing that she changed her life around even though she said she hated me that day. And here we are now.”
Metoxen said she hopes her story will de-normalize drinking and driving in Wisconsin, and will inspire people heading down a negative path to change course.
“Everybody’s life matters and I just think that people should take that into consideration, because I did not and I wish I did," Metoxen said. "I just hope that everybody knows that if you can reach rock bottom you can definitely climb back up to the top.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call the SAMHSA National Help Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
