Utah Highway Patrol Chief Cited for DUI
The
Associated Press
The
commander of the Utah Highway Patrol's drunken driving unit has
been cited for driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing
his cruiser into a concrete barrier, authorities said Thursday.
Lt.
Fred Swain veered off the shoulder of a highway in Draper early
last Friday, overcorrected and hit the barrier that separates the
lanes, Lt. Doug McCleve said.
Swain
said he fell asleep at the wheel, but officers suspected he had
been drinking, said Draper police Sgt. Scott Peck. Swain initially
refused to submit to a breathalyzer test until two patrol captains
talked to him, Peck said.
The
test showed that Swain's blood-alcohol level was nearly 0.12 percent,
Peck said. Utah's legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Swain
was placed on paid administrative leave while the patrol conducts
an internal investigation.
Contacted
by KSL-TV on Thursday, Swain said it was not in his best interest
to comment.
Draper
police investigated the incident. It's common for law enforcement
agencies to ask another agency to investigate incidents involving
their own personnel. Draper is about 19 miles south of Salt Lake
City.
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