A Prior Lake man is facing drunken driving charges after his driving conduct on a golf cart allegedly caused his wife to fall out and injure her head last month.

Nicholas James Dupay, 40, is charged in Scott County District Court with criminal vehicular operation, a gross misdemeanor, and DWI, a misdemeanor.

According to the complaint, a Scott County deputy was called to an address in the 16900 block of Westside Drive on June 23 at about 2:22 a.m. Dispatch stated that they received a 911 hang up call, and on a follow up call, they made contact with an intoxicated man who said that his wife fell off a golf cart and had a large bump on her head.

The deputy arrived and found Dupay and his wife sitting in a golf cart parked in the driveway. Dupay was in the driver’s seat and the golf cart was running. The deputy also observed that Dupay’s wife was holding her head and that she had a “very large” bump on the back of her head. In addition, the deputy observed that there was an odor of alcohol coming from where Dupay and his wife were sitting.

Dupay told the deputy that he was driving down the road in the golf cart with his wife in the passenger seat when she fell out of it and hit her head. Dupay said that he had the cart’s throttle about halfway down and that he was unsure how fast he was going. The deputy asked Dupay when he had his last drink of alcohol, and Dupay said about an hour earlier.

The deputy asked Dupay if he would perform field sobriety tests, and Dupay allegedly refused to answer initially. He eventually said he would not perform the tests. Because the deputy observed that Dupay had bloodshot eyes, poor balance, slurred speech and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person, he arrested Dupay on suspicion of DWI and criminal vehicular operation.

During the arrest, Dupay told the deputy that he was not actually driving the golf cart. When the deputy reminded Dupay that he already admitted to driving the cart, Dupay allegedly said “OK, I was driving, but I was just calling to get my wife help.”

Dupay was transferred to St. Francis Medical Center in Shakopee, where he initially refused to cooperate or give a blood draw to determine his blood alcohol content (BAC). He then said he would not resist a blood draw, but also would not consent to one. A blood draw was eventually completed at 3:52 a.m., about an hour-and-a-half after the initial 911 call. The blood sample has been sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Dupay’s official BAC is pending as authorities await results of the test.

Also at the hospital, Dupay’s wife received treatment for her head injury. Medical records indicated that she suffered a hematoma to her occipital scalp.

Dupay’s first appearance in court is set for July 30.