A Williamsburg man received a probated jail sentence Monday afternoon after pleading guilty to a drunk driving charge stemming from a hit and run accident on the Cumberland Falls Highway Thursday night.
Joel Terrell, 35, of 284 Marie Circle, pleaded guilty Monday to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs and no insurance during his arraignment before District Judge Jason Price.
"This one right here I’m guilty of," he told Price. Price noted that Terrell had a second DUI charge still pending from an older case.
Price sentenced Terrell to 30 days in jail. Price credited Terrell with having already served five days in jail and agreed to conditionally discharge the remaining days. He also ordered Terrell to pay $1,381 in fines and court costs.
Kentucky State Police Trooper R.D. Foley initially charged Terrell, 35, with leaving the scene of an accident and careless driving. Price merged the careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident charge in with the DUI charge after Terrell entered his guilty plea Monday.
Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a hit and run accident on the Cumberland Falls Highway about 10:34 p.m. Thursday, and a witness told police that the vehicle that left was a gold colored General Motors pick-up truck with a license plate that had the first three digits 985, Foley wrote on the arrest citation.
Foley located a 1994 gold Sierra pick-up truck with the license plate number 985HAV on Ky. 204W, he wrote.
"When I passed the vehicle, I observed that it had damage to the front passenger’s side," Foley wrote. "When I got behind the vehicle, I observed the vehicle swerving. I initiated a traffic stop and on approach to the driver, I could smell a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person and breath."
Foley noted that he offered Terrell a field sobriety test.
"The driver advised that he was too intoxicated to perform walk and turn and one legged stand. The driver advised me that he had several shots of whiskey prior to driving," Foley wrote.
Terrell had a blood alcohol level of .126, according to his arrest citation. A person is considered legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 under Kentucky law.
