Impaired Drivers — One with 7 Previous DUIs — Arrested on Grant Avenue

Within one city block and a few hours of each other, two Novato police incidents Thursday afternoon resulted in two men — one with seven prior arrests for impaired driving — being sent to jail to face felony drug and alcohol charges.

A traffic patrol officer from the Novato Police Department pulled over Indian Valley resident Bradley Duft, 52, at the corner of Fourth Street and Grant Avenue just after 1 p.m., said acting Lt. Jennifer Welch. The officer saw an equipment violation but then suspected Duft to be under the influence after speaking to him, Welch said. Duft then performed poorly on a field sobriety test and was arrested at 1:16 p.m.

Later, Duft was found to have seven prior arrests for DUI and was on probation, Welch said. He faces a felony charge of DUI with prior convictions plus five misdemeanors and five code infractions including possessing an open container of alcohol, making an unsafe lane change and driving while his licenses was suspended for DUI.

About three hours later, a traffic stop at Third Street and Grant resulted in a felony drug charge against Jude Steele, 18, of San Rafael. An officer saw Steele fail to stop at a stop sign and fail to yield to a pedestrian and then pulled over the driver, Welch said. Steele was found to be driving without a license and in possession of hashish and marijuana. He was arrested at 4:32 p.m.