NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) _ A 24-year-old North Liberty man who was hospitalized with a lethally high blood alcohol level has been charged with drunken driving.

Authorities say Justin Clark was taken to a hospital on July 29 after he'd failed roadside tests. Police say a breath test showed his blood alcohol level was nearly 0.5 percent. A blood test at the hospital showed it was just over 0.6 percent.

Studies have shown that a blood alcohol content level above 0.3 percent can kill a person or put him or her into a coma.

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness says the figure was the highest she's ever seen.