INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Jim Lucas pleaded guilty Monday to two misdemeanors after he struck a guardrail and drove the wrong way on an interstate entrance ramp while intoxicated nearly two weeks ago.
Lucas, R-Seymour, was formally charged by the Jackson County prosecutor with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, and leaving the scene of an accident, a Class B misdemeanor. In court Monday, the lawmaker pleaded guilty to both charges.
His lawyer, Mark Dove, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that Lucas “wanted to kind of resolve this matter quickly, acknowledge his mistakes and get on with his life … including the representation of his constituents.”
“I’ve represented hundreds of people charged with this crime, and I would say that there’s a pretty small percentage of the population who can’t say, ‘But for the grace of God, there go I,’” Dove said.
Lucas received a 60-day suspended sentence on the OWI charge and a 180-day suspended sentence for leaving the scene.
As part of his plea agreement, Lucas will spend one year on probation — although that could end in as few as six months once he pays court and probation fees, completes an alcohol and drug program, and pays nearly $4,000 for crash repairs and restitution to the Indiana Department of Transportation. He faces substance abuse screenings and must attend a victim impact panel, too.
Lucas faces jail time if he violates probation.
His driver’s license is additionally suspended for 60 days, but Jackson County Superior Court Judge Bruce A. MacTavish granted Lucas specialized driving privileges in eight Indiana counties “for the sole purpose of conducting business” for the lawmaker’s Seymour-based company, The Awning Guy, Inc., between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to an order issued Monday.
There were no exemptions for legislative-related travel, though the General Assembly is not in session.
Lucas failed multiple field sobriety tests, including a horizontal gaze assessment (following the light of a pen with his eyes) according to the probable cause affidavit obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. He also could not walk in a straight line or stand on one foot.
Police said Lucas also submitted to a portable breathalyzer test that showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at .097 — higher than the .08 legal limit in Indiana.
Lucas told officers he was out celebrating with his wife and then “life threw him a curveball” before the crash, according to the affidavit. When asked by police to provide a statement about what happened, Lucas said, “I thought I saw a deer, how’s that?”
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