One other allegedly drunk driving cop, this time within the fun-to-say city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, hit speeds between 96 and 99 mph earlier than he rear-ended one other driver on a 55-mph stretch of freeway in February of this 12 months.
Mark Lillywhite works for St. Joseph County Sheriff Workplace 45 miles south of Kalamazoo township. Extremely, nobody was injured within the early morning February 26 crash, although the automobile Lillywhite struck flipped a number of instances earlier than coming to relaxation in a grassy median on southbound U.S. 131 in Kalamazoo. He crashed into the again of one other automobile in his private automobile with out ever tapping the brakes, Michigan State Police discovered after analyzing the automobile’s onboard laptop. The information additionally confirmed that Lillywhite was not utilizing a seatbelt on the time of the crash. And that’s not all, from MLive:
Lillywhite’s St. Joseph County Sheriff’s badge was in middle console, together with a loaded pistol, the report mentioned. Two extra weapons – a rifle and a pistol, each with magazines – have been present in his trunk.
An odor of alcohol might be smelled when a trooper opened the door of Lillywhite’s SUV, the report mentioned. He additionally had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and staggered whereas he walked.
Lillywhite declined a preliminary breath take a look at at 3:15 a.m., by saying, “Nope,” the report mentioned.
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The automobile Lillywhite hit rolled an unknown variety of instances earlier than stopping within the median, per the report. A lady in one other automobile went to Lillywhite to ask the place they have been so she may inform 911.
Lillywhite was “trashed” and “he saved rocking forwards and backwards and was slurring his speech,” the girl advised police.
Lillywhite denied driving the automobile, however nobody was seen exiting his automobile or fleeing the scene. South Kalamazoo County Hearth Authority Battalion Chief Shawn Westfall did see Lillywhite climb from the motive force’s seat to the passenger seat nonetheless. It’s unclear if Lillywhite nonetheless has a job, however he’s presently going through a number of costs, in accordance with MLive:
Potential costs may embrace working whereas intoxicated, possession of firearms whereas underneath the affect and reckless driving, in accordance with the police report. The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Workplace has not acquired the case to make a charging resolution, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Williams mentioned.
Drunk driving is a kind of legal guidelines that’s each extremely essential to public security and simply damaged by even legislation enforcement officers. For example, seven Los Angeles Police Division officers have been tagged for DUIs within the first few weeks of December final 12 months. A SWAT officer who drove drunk to a gun vary truly managed to get his job again final 12 months.