A fire captain with the Long Beach Fire Department has been found guilty and convicted for a DUI-fueled crash that sent a bicyclist to the hospital with severe injuries, as reported by the Orange County Register.
Huntington Beach resident, J.D.H., 38, had a blood alcohol level that registered three times the legal limit at over 0.20 percent following the accident. He pleaded guilty to DUI causing bodily injury, DUI of 0.08 percent or more causing injury and hit and run with injury.
J.D.H, will begin to serve his time by spending 90 days in state prison where he will have a diagnostic evaluation to see if he is a suitable candidate for prison. On December 3 he is expected to be sentenced at Santa Ana's Central Justice Center.
The sentence will be up to six years probation and eight months in prison.
According to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney's office, on April 1 J.D.H. allegedly left the Long Beach bar, "Schooner or Later", at approximately 1:20 in the afternoon. He got behind the wheel of his Chevrolet pick-up truck, traveled into Seal Beach, drove erratically on Westminster Avenue, lost control of his car and swerved into a bicycle lane before plowing down a bicyclist onto the road's dirt shoulder.
Farrah Emami, the spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office, reported that J.D.H. neither slowed down, nor applied his brakes, before crashing into J.G., 47, on his bicycle.
Then J.D.H. chose to flee the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing J.G. thrown from his bike by the impact - over 70 feet - before landing on the road's shoulder.
Prosecutors stated that two other drivers that witnessed the accident tailed J.D.H. back to his home in Huntington Beach, and called 911.
Once at the home, officers from the Huntington Beach and Seal Beach police departments reported that J.D.H. smelled strongly of alcohol, his eyes were watery and bloodshot, he was unable to maintain his balance and a strong order or urine pervaded his clothes.
Two hours after the crash, J.D.H.'s blood alcohol proved to be 0.24 percent and he was arrested. He was later released after making a $50,000 bail.
Prosecutors remarked that blood was found on J.D.H.'s truck and there was damage to both the car's hood and front fender.
J.G. was transported to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center following the crash. He languished for two weeks in the hospital while being treated for head trauma, severe lacerations, bruising, internal injuries and spinal and vertebrae injuries.
J.G. is currently plagued with limited physical mobility, speech and memory loss.
Ken Walker, the manager of personnel operations for the city of Long Beach said, "(J.D.H.) was separated from city services on June 23."
Charges of DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI can alter your life due to prison time, fines and the loss of driving privileges. Contact a DUI attorney to provide you with the experienced help that you need.