Nominee for "Story of the Month"(3)

Sometimes they come in waves. Just the night before nominated story #2 took place, we had the following event...Story of the Month #3. And this time, we get the added bonus that it involves Northwest Airlines.

PORT HURON -- A veteran Northwest Airlines pilot was charged Sunday with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs and cocaine possession after an incident in which he drove a rented Humvee the wrong way on the Blue Water Bridge and Interstate 94.

Walter Louis Dinalko, 50, of St. Paul, Minn., was arrested by St. Clair County Sheriff's deputies about 10:30 p.m. Saturday night, Lt. A.J. Foster said.

Foster said tire-deflating stop sticks were spread out across the eastbound lanes of the interstate when Dinalko attempted to elude deputies and ignored instructions to pull his vehicle over on the shoulder.

"He ignored repeated efforts to get him to pull over and officers had to resort to stop sticks to disable his vehicle," said Foster, adding Dinalko was combative when he was finally stopped and had to be wrestled to the ground during the arrest.

A bag containing a small amount of cocaine was found inside the vehicle and another bag was in Dinalko's possession, Foster said. It was unclear where Dinalko was headed when the incident took place at the international border between U.S. and Canada.

Dinalko was arraigned Sunday in the St. Clair County Jail by 72nd District Judge Richard Cooley on charges of possession of cocaine, assault and obstruction and resisting a police officer, and fleeing and eluding police. He was to be released on $10,000 cash surety bond which had been posted by a bondsman, Foster said.

A Northwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed Dinalko was employed by the airlines but refused to comment on the incident, which is also under investigation by the Federal Aviations Administration (FAA). The FAA monitors the airline industry, its employees, and matters pertaining to public safety.