A Utah sheriff’s lieutenant was driving himself and four children to a gun range on Feb. 9 in a county vehicle. He ended up crashing the vehicle and being charged with DUI. The lieutenant has since resigned his position.
As the deputy drove on Route 17 on the day in question, he failed to stay on the road. When he attempted to steer the vehicle back onto the road, he overcorrected. This caused the vehicle to flip over as it went down the embankment. The truck came to a rest on its roof.
Fortunately, all of the truck’s occupants were properly restrained. Thankfully, any injuries suffered by the driver and the children were considered minor. When a Utah Highway Patrol trooper observed the Washington County Sheriff’s Lieutenant, he says the man was having trouble maintaining his balance.
Once he and the trooper were in the trooper’s vehicle, the trooper claims to have smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath. The man then allegedly failed a field sobriety test. At that point, he was placed under arrest. He is charged with driving under the influence (class-A misdemeanor) and failing to keep his vehicle in one lane (class-C misdemeanor).
Being charged with DUI, even if it is not a felony charge, can have potentially dire consequences for the accused driver. So far, after being placed on administrative leave, this man has lost his job. A conviction could have other consequences such as a loss of his driver’s license, fines and possibly some jail time. Moreover, the fact that there were children in the car with him at the time of the crash could result in child custody issues as well. Fortunately, he will have the opportunity to address the criminal charges and determine the best course of action to protect his legal interests and hope to achieve a satisfactory result.
Source: stgeorgeutah.com, County Sheriff’s lieutenant resigns following DUI arrest, Mori Kessler, March 12, 2014
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