§ 7.03.07. Prohibition against driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs with certain concentration of alcohol in bodily substances; chemical analysis.
(A)
No person shall operate any vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley within this state, if any of the following apply:
(1)
The person is under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse;
(2)
The person has a concentration of ten-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in his blood;
(3)
The person has a concentration of ten-hundredths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per 210 liters of his breath;
(4)
The person has a concentration of fourteen-hundredths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per 100 milliliters of his urine.
(B)
In any criminal prosecution for a violation of this section, the court may admit evidence on the concentration of alcohol, drugs of abuse, or alcohol and drugs of abuse in the defendant's blood, breath, urine, or other bodily substance at the time of the alleged violation as shown by chemical analysis of the defendant's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance withdrawn within two hours of the time of the alleged violation.
When a person submits to a blood test at the request of a police officer under Section 4511.191 of the Ohio Revised Code, only a physician, a registered nurse, or a qualified technician or chemist shall withdraw blood for the purpose of determining its alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug content. This limitation does not apply to the taking of breath or urine specimens. A physician, registered nurse, or a qualified technician or chemist may refuse to withdraw blood for the purpose of determining the alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug content of the blood, if in his opinion the physical welfare of the person would be endangered by the withdrawing of blood.
Such bodily substance shall be analyzed in accordance with methods approved by the director of health by an individual possessing a valid permit issued by the director of health pursuant to Section 3701.142 of the Ohio Revised Code.
If there was at the time the bodily substance was withdrawn a concentration of less than ten-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in the defendant's blood, less than ten-hundredths of one gram by weight of alcohol per 210 liters of his breath, or less than fourteen hundredths of one gram by weight of alcohol per 100 milliliters of his urine, such fact may be considered with other competent evidence in determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
Upon the request of the person who was tested the results of the chemical test shall be made available to him, his attorney, or his agent, immediately upon the completion of the chemical test analysis.
The person tested may have a physician, a registered nurse, or a qualified technician or chemist of his own choosing administer a chemical test or tests in addition to any administered at the request of a police officer, and shall be so advised. The failure or inability to obtain an additional chemical test by a person shall not preclude the admission of evidence relating to the chemical test or tests taken at the request of a police officer.
Any physician, registered nurse, or qualified technician or chemist who withdraws blood from a person pursuant to this section, and any hospital, first-aid station, or clinic at which blood is withdrawn from a person pursuant to this section, is immune from criminal liability, and from civil liability that is based upon a claim of assault and battery or based upon any other claim that is not in the nature of a claim of malpractice, for any act performed in withdrawing blood from the person.