Ever been pulled over for driving under the influence, blown into a breathalyzer and found that your blood alcohol content was pretty high? The only obvious explanation would be that you have been drinking, thus the high levels of alcohol in your system, but could there be another reason?Turns out there is. It seems that over in Hamburg, New York, a woman had successfully gotten DUI charges against her dismissed after evidence was presented that proved that she was suffering from what is known as “auto-brewery syndrome”. Basically what this means is that her body can convert her food carbohydrates into ethanol, which led to her looking like she was drunk and having a BAC of more than four times the legal limit.
Speaking to CNN, her attorney Joseph Marusak said, “I had never heard of auto-brewery syndrome before this case. But I knew something was amiss when the hospital police took the woman to wanted to release her immediately because she wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms. That prompts me to get on the Internet and see if there is any sort of explanation for a weird reading. Up pops auto-brewery syndrome and away we go.”
That being said, the Hamburg Police Chief Gregory G. Wickett claims that his officers made the right move in charging the woman. According to the Buffalo News, “She was highly intoxicated, as shown by the Breathalyzer. Our officers did the right thing in getting her off the road. Whether she has a medical issue that caused it is not for me to decide.” While this should be an open and shut case, it seems that prosecutors are apparently planning to appeal and have the case reinstated.