Approximately an hour before leaving for the party, I went to the liquor store to purchase two bottles of the rum for the night. Everyone then left in unison for the party around 7:00 PM. As we arrived at Bloomsburg at approximately 8:00, everyone was in the mood to get extremely drunk. When “Kurt” and I started drinking the rum, this is where the fatal error occurred. Instead of us each drinking out of our own separate bottle, we decided to drink one bottle between the two of us ands then drink the second. In theory this would have worked, if “Kurt” would have had the same tolerance as me, this story would have a much different outcome. As the night continues everyone at the party is getting more and more intoxicated and people start doing crazier things.

At around 10ish the first bottle of rum was empty and we started drinking the second one. However, soon after “Kurt” decides to cut himself off and stop drinking the second bottle. I, of course, see this as an opportunity to have more alcohol for myself, this being the ultimate downfall. By midnight everyone at the party is dancing and acting like idiots, myself included. Soon after that I finished the second bottle of rum, bringing the total rum drank to approximately 1200mL. My last clear memory is from 12:45 when I called my girlfriend to tell her how much fun I was having, and how hard it is to walk and talk at the same time. The next series of events has been compiled based on other’s accounts and my own blurred memory. Around 1:00AM, for reason’s unknown, I left the party and drove my Blazer to a Denny’s restaurant approx one mile away. After wondering around the property/restaurant for around 10 minutes I proceeded to go next door to a gas station. Once again I roamed around there for a good while as well, why, I will never know. Soon enough I assume the feeling of being stranded began to set in, along with some panic. I then walked up behind a man at the counter paying for gas and took his keys from the counter. I nonchalantly walked out to his 1989 Plymouth hatchback, got in, started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot. I will never know why I did this, considering my car was no less than 20 yards away and the keys were in my pocket.

I was driving in the direction of the party for about one mile when a Bloomsburg police cruiser pulled up behind me after having received a call about the car being stolen. I was cooperative and pulled over then turned off the engine. At the request of the office I put my hands out of the window and opened the door from the outside. At the request of the officer and his pulled gun, I then lied down on the macadam. Next the officer ran to me and with a hard knee in my back pulled my hands behind my back and handcuffed them, tight.

The next hour or so I don’t recall very well but I regained my memory somewhat in the police station where I was being questioned by the arresting officer. By this time I assume it was about 2:30 A.M. and according to the officer I was not being very cooperative, considering how much I drank, I do not find this very hard to believe. Soon enough I was taken to Berwick for a more extensive breathalyzer test where my results at 3:30 A.M. was 0.24. At approx 4:30 I went in front of a judge back in Bloomsburg where my bail was set and I was ordered to Columbia County Prison. I was then allowed to make my one phone call to which I made to my parents who were a little bit less than thrilled at the news of me stealing a car while drunk. Next, I was taken by the arresting officer to the prison where I was given a fresh bright orange jumpsuit and matching slippers. I spent the next 29 hours in a cell by myself eating horrible food, being ridiculously hungover, and even more ridiculously bored. At 10:00AM on January 2 my father bailed me out for the first… and last time.