Most people in Missouri might assume that the only way a person could be arrested for drunk driving is if they had been drinking before they were driving. This may sound logical, but it is actually not true. A person may be arrested for impaired driving if they were under the influence of other drugs. These may be prescription drugs or illegal substances. Other people may be arrested and charged with driving under the influence if they have not in any way consumed a substance that would make them impaired.

This may sound far-fetched, but it is exactly what happened to one man. Forbes reported recently on this case in which the defendant ended up discovering that he had a rare medical condition in which his body automatically produced alcohol when he ate carbohydrate-laden foods or ate or drank sugary foods or drinks. The condition is called Auto-Brewery Syndrome.

A course of antibiotics for an infection apparently left the man without the healthy bacteria his system typically would have. This allowed yeast to grow in his intestinal tract and eventually metabolize as alcohol. Without consuming any alcohol, the man would register lethal blood alcohol levels. His moods and behaviors were impacted by this as well.

After experiencing many challenges, including a drunk driving charge, the man eventually learned what caused his problem and underwent extensive medical treatment to correct and manage the condition. It is unknown at this time if the prior DUI remains on his record or if he was able to have it removed in light of the medical discovery.