Toxicology report: Man was drunk when he drove into Lake Macatawa with kids in vehicle
PARK TWP. — A toxicology report has revealed a man who drove his vehicle into Lake Macatawa with his daughters in the backseat was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the crash.
WZZM reports Jon Paul Dowler, 52, was positive for alcohol, THC Delta 9 and methamphetamine at the time of his death Sunday, Jan. 22. His blood-alcohol level was .18, more than double the legal limit.
Dowler drowned after driving his vehicle into Lake Macatawa around 2 a.m. Sunday. His daughters, ages 8 and 10, were able to escape through the back hatch.
More: Sisters huddled for warmth for hours after father accidentally drove into Lake Macatawa
A police report says Dowler and the children were at a friend’s house watching a football game before the crash. Dowler’s wife, Jennifer, reported them missing when they didn't return the next morning.
The daughters told police Dowler wasn't wearing a seatbelt and they saw him “drink a lot of beers” that night, reports WZZM.
The girls escaped the vehicle, made their way to shore at a private yacht club and tried to get help at nearby cottages. But most were summer homes and empty. Eventually, they found an enclosed porch and huddled together for warmth. It was around 30 degrees outside that night.
Later, the girls found a cottage with someone home, who called 911. Neither child suffered serious injury.
Dowler drove into Lake Macatawa where Jenison Avenue ends north of Lakeway Drive. There are no barricades in the area where the road ends. It's not an official boat launch, but is sometimes used as one by people in the neighborhood.
According to WZZM, after leaving the friend's house, the daughters said they were both buckled, but their father was not. They told police they knew this because the seat belt alarm was going off and he "kept yelling at it to shut up and swore at it."
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Police said surveillance video at a nearby marina showed the car entering the water at a high rate of speed, with little to no braking. One of the girls told police their sibling tried to smash the window open with an object in the car before they eventually exited through the trunk, grabbing a life jacket from a beach trip the summer before.
At the time, investigators determined the crash to be accidental. According to WZZM, Dowler's wife told police he had a history of drinking and driving.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Report: Man was drunk when he drove into lake with kids in vehicle
