Man So Drunk He's Lucky to Live

An Indiana man is lucky to be alive after being found in a ditch over the weekend with a blood alcohol level seven times the legal driving limit, according to local authorities. James Henderson, a 28-year-old from Valparaiso, may have set a record in Porter County with an astonishing blood alcohol level of 0.552—compared with a legal driving limit of 0.08. Medical experts say that reaching a level of 0.40 brings a strong chance of slipping into a coma, or even death. On Saturday afternoon, a woman was alarmed after spotting Henderson lying on the side of the road in a ditch, with another woman sitting next to him. She then called 911; when she returned to the scene 15 minutes later, Henderson was lying there unconscious and alone, with several bruises on his body. The young man, who has a history of alcohol-related arrests, is being treated at a local hospital for alcohol poisoning. When he recovers he will most likely be charged with public intoxication.