DULUTH, MN — The president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce was in jail Friday after police say he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, his fourth lifetime DWI-related offense. Officers were called to a Taco Bell on London Road around 1:30 a.m. for a welfare check and found Matt Baumgartner, 42, slumped over the steering wheel in the drive-thru lane.
Jail records show Baumgartner was booked into the St. Louis County Jail around 3:30 a.m. The case was still under investigation Friday morning.
Charges and arrest details
According to a police report provided later by the Duluth Police Department, Baumgartner faces three charges: driving while intoxicated, possession of an open bottle and refusing to submit to a required chemical test. Jail staff told Northern News Now he had not been fully processed as of Friday morning.
Northern News Now said it was working to obtain the official report and mugshot and had asked police for more information. Baumgartner and the chamber were also contacted for comment.
Chamber board responds
The chamber said through a consulting firm that its board knew of the situation but was still learning the full details. The statement said the group would not comment further until it had more information, citing respect for chamber staff and members.
The arrest marked Baumgartner’s second alleged DWI while serving as chamber president and his second time being jailed on such a suspicion during that period, according to the report.
Prior record in court
Court records show Baumgartner was convicted of DWI in 2022, after taking over as chamber president the year before. In that case, a witness reported a vehicle had struck a gate at a downtown Duluth parking ramp, and police later found the driver nodding off inside the vehicle.
Records also show a 2006 DWI conviction. He was charged with DWI again in 2017, but that case was dismissed and he was convicted instead of careless driving.
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