Andy Quach wasn’t just drunk – his B.A. level was allegedly .26!

Just how drunk was Westminster Councilman Andy Quach when he crashed into a power pole, a block wall and a car on Saturday night?  According to the O.C. District Attorney’s office his blood alcohol level was allegedly .26!  That isn’t just drunk – it is REALLY drunk.

How would one feel with that much alcohol in one’s blood?  Here is what one website reports:

BAL .25%: All mental, physical, and sensory functions are severely impaired. You’re emotionally numb. There’s an increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falling or other accidents.

We’re talking about 8 to 10 drinks in Quach’s body!  He could have died of alcohol poisoning!

Here is an excerpt from the D.A.’s press release:

Quach is accused of colliding his Mercedes Benz S550 into another car, losing control, striking a cement wall leading into the backyard of homes, and severing an electricity poll. At the scene, the defendant is accused of showing objective signs of intoxication including blood shot eyes, slow and slurred speech, and emitting a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and  body. The defendant is also accused of having unstable balance and performing the field sobriety tests given by the police officer poorly. Quach is accused of having over a .26 blood alcohol level in his blood, which was collected by police.

Clearly Quach needs to resign from the Westminster City Council tonight!

UPDATE: In related news, the O.C. Register is reporting that Assemblyman Van Tran rushed to the accident scene after Quach called him.  Here are a few excerpts from their article:

“I was at the scene as a friend,” he said.

Tran said when he got to the scene, Quach appeared distraught and shaken up.

“He wasn’t bleeding, but I know he was injured in the accident,” he said.

It’s definitely an “adverse situation” for any politician to face, Tran said, referring to the political consequences of Quach’s arrest.

Tran was the second Vietnamese American man to be elected to office in the United States in 2000 when he was elected to Garden Grove City Council with the highest number of votes in the city’s history. He was elected to the California State Assembly with 61 percent of the vote in 2004, representing the 68th district.

An influential personality in Little Saigon and Orange County politics, Tran is also mentor to several younger, newer Vietnamese American politicians including Quach, Garden Grove councilwoman Dina Nguyen and Westminster councilman Tyler Diep.

Tran says he believes Quach can “turn this around.”

“I believe that he is sincerely contrite,” he said. “He is assuming responsibility for his actions – whether it was DUI or negligence.”

American voters are understanding when it comes to politicians making mistakes, especially when they see that the remorse is genuine, Tran said.