A 42-year-old Hutchinson man has been charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated after allegedly driving his yellow International Cub Cadet lawn tractor while drunk Thursday evening.

Darwin Lyle Christensen was arrested about 6:20 p.m., booked and taken to the McLeod County Jail in Glencoe. He has been charged by the McLeod County Attorney’s Office with two counts of DWI, including third-degree DWI, a gross misdemeanor, and one petty misdemeanor count of urinating in public.

Witnesses told Hutchinson police that a man was driving on School Road Northwest on the lawn tractor and appeared to be drunk. They reported the man went to Superamerica, bought beer and headed back north, allegedly stopping to urinate near Meadowlinks Golf Course and tossing a beer can in the ditch.

An officer went to the mobile home park in the 700 block of North High Drive and found a Cub Cadet with its hood open and engine warm. A man, later identified as Christensen, approached the officer and allegedly admitted to driving the lawn tractor.

Police administered a blood alcohol breath test to Christensen, who had a reading of 0.21, well above Minnesota’s legal limit of 0.08.

Lt. Dave Erlandson said it is illegal to drive any type of motorized vehicle, including lawn tractors, anywhere in Minnesota, even on your own property while drunk.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)