This guy took leaving the scene to a new level. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that he crashed into another car at an intersection. He drove away. Another person involved in the crash followed him, so he shot him. He turned a Class A misdemeanor into at least a class C felony. 

Read about his bad decision at:

CRIME REPORT: Memphis man accused of shooting 1 when motorist follows him after crash » The Commercial Appeal

Madison man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide - WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

Congratulations to the Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Officers involved in seeking justice in this case. Their efforts resulted in the this verdict.

Madison man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide - WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

NEW NEWS : Stoned drivers test skills

Revoked and Suspended Drivers & CRASHES

Did you know?

 There are currently 778,701 drivers in crashes with a known license status in TITAN (launched 2008)


 Of the 778,701 drivers with known license status, 62,472 had a license status of revoked, suspended, canceled, denied, expired, disqualified, or no license. This comes to 8.02% of all drivers in crashes in Tennessee. That is a higher percentage than the number of drunk drivers involved in crashes.

Meeks Sentenced To 27 Years In Marion County Crash That Killed 3 People - 02/19/2013 - Chattanoogan.com

This horrific road rage case has been resolved with a 27 year sentence.

Meeks Sentenced To 27 Years In Marion County Crash That Killed 3 People - 02/19/2013 - Chattanoogan.com

Clarksville Police to publicize DUI arrests

News Channel 5 is reporting that the Clarksville Police Department is going to begin publishing the names and mugshots of people charged with DUI.

"Over half of our fatalities has some sort of alcohol relationship. We can't just sit back and ignore that," said Officer Jim Knoll with the Clarksville Police Department. "So we've go to do something to get the word out."


The jail's online log will go out to the media daily, but it could also start showing up on the department's Facebook page.

Read about the effort at:


http://www.newschannel5.com/story/21254892/new-plan-to-crackdown-on-dui

DUI 9th in the News

Anthony Paul McGowan has been driving under the influence since 1989. He has spent as much time in jail or prison as on the street, but he does not stop. Arrested after dropping a child off at school, he now has a 9th offense DUI pending and became the focus on a Channel 2 News story in Nashville. See the story at:
http://www.wkrn.com/story/21269616/man-arrested-for-9th-dui

Headed to Cookeville to teach at another DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Test class with Steve Dillard. More DUI Detectors are coming!

Crash Reconstruction Pedestrian/Bicycle Class

Congratulations to the 13 officers who completed the Crash Reconstruction Pedestrian and Bicycle class today in Nashville. This was a 40 hour class specializing in examining crash scenes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. It was a pleasure to spend two hours discussing the hit and run driver scenario.

IMPLIED CONSENT NEWS...HUGE NEWS

In a decision released today, Feb 14th,  in the Court of Criminal Appeals, called  State v Glavin, Judge McMillan and Judge Smith have agreed that ALL non criminal implied consent violations MUST be heard in Sessions Court, unless there is a written motion filed by the Prosecutor to have the determination made in the Trial Court. Further, it is error to have a non criminal implied consent violation determined by a jury. Please share this information with your Sessions Court prosecutors. 

A written motion is not required by statute, but it apparently is required to satisfy  this decision.

http://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/glavinfrankopn.pdf

Trooper Clower

Congratulations to  Trooper Thomas Clower for a Court of Criminal Appeals decision upholding his traffic stop on I-75 of a Defendant transporting marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine to sell at the University of Tennessee.

Read the case at:

http://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/bashirkopn.pdf

DUI Detection and SFST class

Jim Camp and I had a great time working with 23 Law Enforcement Officers in the DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Test 40 hour class at the Franklin police department yesterday. Instructors Gino Fantoni and Brent Rose did a great job putting this together for the officers from 12 departments.

Dad Accused of Murdering Drunk Driver Who Killed Kids

Dad Accused of Murdering Drunk Driver Who Killed Kids

I would not encourage this reaction, but would not like to be the prosecutor in this case!

New bill hopes to strengthen TN DUI laws - WSMV Channel 4

Here is a story from WSMV concerning the efforts of MADD to pass an ignition interlock law that would require all first offenders with a .08 BAC or above to install an ignition interlock. The bill is HB 353.
It will eliminate Restricted Licenses, replacing them with ignition interlock requirements for persons with a .08 BAC or above. It will permit ignition interlock licenses for all DUI offenders, not just 1st offenders.
If a person is convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or is convicted with a .07, there is no ignition interlock, but there is also no restricted license.
Read the bill at:
http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/default.aspx?billnumber=HB0353
Read the article at:
New bill hopes to strengthen TN DUI laws - WSMV Channel 4

February Fatal Crashes

Fatalities this month: 2/1/2013 – 2/12/2013

Ruby Dixon, 46, Bethel Springs;

Jackie White, 16, Lewisburg;

Timothy Martin, 20, Mount Juliet

Bryan Delk, 41, Columbia

Doris Gentry, 50, Cookeville

Jerry Rice, 70, Ten Mile

Gregory Collette, 39, Sweetwater

Zachary Reagan, 20, Knoxville

Eller Parton, 35, Dandridge

Ryan Marcum, 17, Harrogate

Brock Humphreys, 41, Greeneville

In three crashes resulting in a fatality, alcohol was present.

In three crashes, seat belts were not in use.

Weather caused two crashes that resulted in the loss of life.

The most common factor was a vehicle leaving it's lane and either going 

off the road or crashing into another vehicle.

May they rest in peace. Please, be careful on our roadways.

Guin Pleads Guilty In Traffic Death Of Vickie Pippin; Gets 8 Years - 02/11/2013 - Chattanoogan.com

This man was texting and had a .08, when he killed one victim and injured another. DUI Prosecutor Kate Lavery was represented Tennessee.


Guin Pleads Guilty In Traffic Death Of Vickie Pippin; Gets 8 Years - 02/11/2013 - Chattanoogan.com

Driver crashes stolen vehicle, faces DUI charges - WSMV Channel 4

Driver crashes stolen vehicle, faces DUI charges - WSMV Channel 4

Methadone Clinics

The Commissioner of the Departmnet of Health recently spoke at a forum and told us that 78% of people recieving treatment at methadone clinics in Tennessee are there for narcotic addiction as opposed to 4% for heroin addiction!
Surveys of addicts indicate that 70% of opiods come from family and friends.
Tennessee is Number 2 in the nation for the number of opiods sold!