Brandon E. Carpenter, age 25, was driving northbound on Bennett Street in the town of Muncie Indiana when he struck a guardrail. Muncie Police Department Sergeant Bruce Qualls says that the accident occurred just after 12:30 a.m..
At the time of the crash the driver was witnessed speeding much faster than the recommended speed limit.
Once the truck hit the guardrail it flipped over twice and finally settled in a nearby ditch. At the time Carpenter was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle, and landed in another ditch nearly fifty feet away.
In the vehicle with Carpenter were two passengers, Kimmie Watt and Kevin Wood. Both were wearing seatbelts at the time of the wreck, and needed to be extracted by the Muncie Fire Department. Thankfully neither of the passengers was seriously injured.
Tests showed Carpenter had a blood alcohol content of nearly three times the legal limit at 0.237. Carpenter was not lucky enough to avoid serious injury, and was admitted to the Ball Memorial Hospital intensive care unit.
Sergeant Qualls said “We had DUI patrol out last night and that’s on we didn’t catch.” “Had we have caught him, he’d just be in jail and not the hospital.”
Carpenter will be charged while driving while intoxicated. This could also be accompanied by a charge of criminal recklessness per a further investigation.
Police warn that if convicted with a DUI in Indiana you can expect a minimum probation, payment of restitution, license suspension, court fees. If you are convicted for a second time the charge is stepped up to a felony level with possible jail time. For a third offense you will likely lose your license ten years which will be supplemented by at least three and up to nine months in jail.
