A coroner in Colorado drove to a fatal car accident, a standard part of his job. However, he was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Now, he has resigned from his position.
Three people were involved in the initial crash. Two of them were injured, though the injuries were not serious. However, one teen girl passed away. She was just 19 years old.
The Bent County Coroner arrived, and that’s when police officers who had also responded to the scene said that they could smell alcohol. One of the deputies asked the man if he had been drinking, and police claim he told them he had consumed “something” that evening.
He was given two breath tests. The first was at the crash scene. He was then arrested and taken to jail, where a second test was performed. He was reportedly just over that 0.08 legal limit, registering 0.087.
The man is now facing DUI Per Se charges. This simply indicates that his blood alcohol content was over the legal limit, so he would have been arrested whether the alcohol in his system had impacted his ability to drive or not.
One officer was asked if this has ever happened before. He said that he has been with the state police for 14 years, and it was the first time he had even heard of a situation like this.
This case illustrates just how serious a drunk driving arrest can be. Even beyond fines and jail time, it can end a career. That is why it’s so important for those accused of driving under the influence to know their rights.
Source: KOAA, “Bent County Coroner resigns after DUI arrest on scene of fatal crash,” Tom Kackley, March 09, 2018
