SEATTLE — A cargo captain accused of being intoxicated behind the wheel failed to appear in court on Wednesday, and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
Court documents say 48-year-old Oleh Danylin of Ukraine was the captain of the MSC Jubilee IX when it arrived at ship Terminal 5 in Seattle.
A Puget Sound pilot on the Jubilee reported smelling alcohol on Danylin and alerted Coast Guard officials, who boarded the ship after docking.
In a report from a Coast Guard Special Agent, officials conducted a breathalyzer test and Danylin allegedly blew a .241 blood alcohol content level.
He allegedly told investigators he hadn’t consumed any alcohol in the past two months and the odor was most likely from mouthwash he used ten minutes before coming into port, according to court documents.
Officials say they also conducted a field sobriety test and Danylin reportedly performed so poorly that they stopped the test midway through.
He was charged on Monday for operation of a vessel while under the influence, which is a gross misdemeanor, according to the King County Prosecuting Office.
He pleaded not guilty at his initial arraignment.
Danylin was due in court on Aug. 27, but did not appear. His attorney also did not appear.
Judge Gregg Hirakawa issued a $10,000 warrant for his arrest, which will be dismissed if he appears in court next.
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