State Police arrested a man early Tuesday whose blood alcohol level allegedly was .491 - more than six times the legal limit - which they believe is the highest ever recorded in Rhode Island for someone who wasn't dead. Stanley Kobierowski, 34, of North Providence, was arrested after he drove into a highway message board on Interstate 95 in Providence, Maj. Steven O'Donnell said. After police arrived, Kobierowski had trouble getting out of the car, then grabbed it and refused to move, forcing troopers to carry him to the breakdown lane before taking him back to their barracks, O'Donnell said.

A Breathalyzer test showed Kobierowski had blood alcohol readings of .489 followed by .491, O'Donnell said, the highest readings anyone at the State Police or the Department of Health could remember for someone who didn't end up dead.

The legal limit in Rhode Island is .08. A blood alcohol of .3 is classified as "stupor," .4 is "comatose" and .5 is considered fatal, according to the health department.

"Our only assumption could be that the person has a serious alcohol problem," O'Donnell said. "The person's lucky they survived. There's no doubt he would have gotten killed or killed someone if he had continued on the route he was taking."

Kobierowski was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he was put in the detoxification unit and sedated, O'Donnell said. He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on charges of driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

He was released after promising to appear at hearing Friday in district court.

A phone listing for Kobierowski could not be found. It was unclear Tuesday whether he had an attorney.

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