Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee John Waihe'e IV's blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he crashed his car into another vehicle last year, according to police records made public yesterday.

The records were released when Waihe'e entered a no contest plea to a drunken driving charge before state District Judge William Cardwell.

According to police reports, Waihe'e told one officer after the accident, "I don't usually drink, but when I drink, I drink a lot. I only had eight beers tonight, but my friends kept giving me shots."

He also told police, "I hit the other car. I knew I was drunk so I was taking back roads to get home."

Neither Waihe'e nor his lawyer, Greg Nishioka, could be reached for comment yesterday afternoon. Waihe'e has denied comment on the case since he was charged in December. He ran from news crews attempting to interview him when he pleaded not guilty in the case on Dec. 14.

Cardwell yesterday denied a request from Deputy Prosecutor Amy Chan to jail Waihe'e, son of former Gov. John Waihe'e, for five days because of the high blood-alcohol content, which was .26. The legal limit is .08.

Instead, the judge fined Waihe'e $1,000, suspended his driver's license for 90 days and ordered him to complete 72 hours of community service.

The accident occurred before a new law was enacted that imposes harsher punishments for "highly intoxicated" drivers whose blood-alcohol levels are at least twice the legal limit.

Waihe'e drove his Toyota sports car into a pickup truck on 'Auwaiolimu Street near Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery shortly before midnight May 10.

Waihe'e, 37, was first elected to the OHA board of trustees in 2000. He was serving as board vice chairman but resigned that post after he was charged in the DUI case in December. He remains a member of the board of trustees.

Victoria Tauanuu, driver of the pickup truck that was struck by Waihe'e, could not be reached for comment yesterday. Her attorney, Jason Tani, also was unavailable for comment.

At the time of the accident, Tauanuu told police she was backing out of her driveway and was stopped for traffic when Waihe'e's vehicle ran into the passenger side of her truck.

Her nephew told police that after the collision, Waihe'e's car, a 1991 Toyota MR2, "burned out in reverse and collided into a rock wall."

One police officer who spoke to Waihe'e shortly after the collision reported, "As Waihe'e spoke I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic type beverage coming from his breath."

That officer, Ian Ibrao, said in his police report that "Waihe'e was also observed having red glassy bloodshot eyes and spoke very slowly with a slurred speech."

Waihe'e "appeared very disoriented" as he sat in his car and was questioned by officers about possible injuries, the police report said. The air bags in the car had deployed, and the windshield was cracked.

Because Waihe'e was taken to The Queen's Medical Center for treatment of possible injuries, he was not given a Breathalyzer test at the scene, but a blood sample was drawn at the hospital for testing of blood-alcohol content.

Results of that test were not released until yesterday.

Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com.