A 29-year-old Humptulips man was arrested for driving under the influence when he was found in a running car parked over a grave site at Sunset Memorial Park in Hoquiam on Wednesday.

Hoquiam police were called to the scene around 7:15 p.m. and found the man slumped over behind the wheel. The reporting party had attempted to get the man’s attention by banging on the door and window, but he was unresponsive, according to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.

“The driver did not know where he was or how he had driven into the cemetery,” said Myers. “There appeared to be drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, including evidence of a syringe.”

Paramedics with the Hoquiam Fire Department attempted to treat the driver, but he refused. Officers administered field sobriety tests and arrested the driver for “being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated,” according to Myers. “The investigation indicated the driver was using heroin and had passed out behind the wheel.”

A search warrant was obtained for a blood test and the driver was booked into the Hoquiam City Jail and his car impounded. Myers said the city’s public works crew was expected to check for damage at the cemetery Thursday.

“Officers continue to find more and more drivers who are under the influence of drugs while operating a motor vehicle. However, for officers on patrol, these drivers are much more difficult to detect than someone who is intoxicated on alcohol. We suspect many of these drivers go on undetected until a collision or incident such as this occurs,” said Myers. “As another example, in April a driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated after he injected heroin while stopped at a red light on Sumner Avenue at 23rd Street. The driver overdosed with his young daughter in the backseat and was arrested for driving under the influence. These incidents highlight the opioid crisis and should be a serious safety concern to all citizens on the road.”