A Casper man facing felony charges after dragging a man more than a mile behind an SUV had been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving just two hours earlier.

Doug Downs, 39, was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe from the parking lot of Casper's Sandbar Lounge early Sunday morning when he struck Jeffrey Irene.

According to a police affidavit, Downs hit Irene around 2 a.m. Sunday. He had been arrested around midnight and was freed on bond about an hour later.

Downs made his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court on Monday. Irene, 40, also from Casper, remained in critical condition Monday evening at Wyoming Medical Center.

Downs faces felony charges of driving under the influence and aggravated assault. He also faces a separate DUI charge for his first arrest.

He was arrested by Casper police after officers noticed he was driving his pickup erratically on Collins Street. A Breathalyzer test at the police station at 12:22 a.m. indicated his blood-alcohol concentration was .11 percent. The legal limit for driving in Wyoming is .08.

After being booked into the Natrona County Detention Center, Downs posted bond at 12:55 a.m. The police affidavit doesn't say who picked him up at the jail, but it says he was dropped off two blocks from the Sandbar.

Downs told investigators he then walked to the bar, where he drank half a beer.

At his second arrest, his blood-alcohol concentration again registered .11 percent.

Lt. Mike Thompson of the Casper Police Department said someone jailed for DUI can only be released into the custody of a sober person in accordance with jail regulations. The jailed person would not have to complete sobriety tests before leaving.

Downs told investigators that he agreed to drive some friends home at about 2 a.m. They got into a Chevy Tahoe owned by someone else. The passengers told Downs he had hit someone as the SUV left the bar's parking lot, but Downs later said he thought they meant he had hit another car.

Irene was dragged under the vehicle as Downs drove from the Sandbar Lounge to a house in the 1100 block of S. Oak St., about 1.1 miles away.

Downs told investigators he did not realize Irene was under the vehicle until he stopped at the house. He told officers he got out and found Irene in a ditch.

The affidavit said Downs tried to cover Irene with a blanket, but he ran away when he heard sirens approaching. Downs' mother later brought him back to the scene.

Irene was taken to Wyoming Medical Center with a ruptured diaphragm and massive internal injuries. The dragging ripped Irene's skin from shoulder to hip on the left side of his body.

The lifelong Casper resident, a professional golfer and construction worker, went into surgery for a second time late Monday afternoon, Eileen Irene said in an interview from a hospital waiting room. His family had gathered to be with him, she said.

If Downs is charged on both felony DUI and aggravated assault counts, each charge could mean 10 years in the state penitentiary and a $10,000 fine. Downs' initial DUI charges carries a potential fine of $750 and six months in jail.

The charges Downs faces could change, said Natrona County District Attorney Michael Blonigen.

"If the victim passes away, the potential exists for a vehicular homicide charge to be filed," Blonigen said.

A preliminary hearing for Downs will be set in the next week. Bail was set at $50,000.

Should Downs make bail, he is not to leave the state, consume alcohol or be where alcohol is served.

Reach reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com. Reporter Tom Morton contributed to this story.