Police: Drunk driver parked himself in officer's parking lot

(NECN: Jennifer Eagan, Windham, N.H.) - Officers in Windham, New Hampshire watch the roads constantly for drunk drivers, and have caught more than 30 in the past year, including one early Tuesday morning who saved police a lot of footwork.  

"The dispatcher noticed an unfamiliar vehicle pulling into our back parking lot," said Sgt. Bryan Smith.

Police say 31-year-old Jonathan Sullivan of Tewksbury, Mass. rolled right into the restricted lot meant for officers’ vehicles only. He parked about 15 feet from a couple of cruisers and left the car running.  

"It was only a couple of minutes between the time the subject was seen and when the officer got down there and the subject was already passed out cold behind the wheel," said Sgt. Smith.

The officer woke Sullivan up. After a field sobriety test, Sullivan was arrested. Police say Sullivan told officers he thought he was in Dracut, roughly 20 minutes south of where he actually parked his car.  

"We’re glad he pulled in because if he had kept driving you don’t know what would have happened," Sgt. Smith said.

Sgt. Smith says this is Sullivan’s first drunk driving arrest in New Hampshire. He is due in court Jan. 28.