The Breckinridge County sheriff has been indicted on five felony counts related to a DUI crash that injured a Leitchfield woman.
Sheriff Todd Pate was indicted by a Breckinridge County Grand Jury on Thursday on four counts of felony wanton endangerment, tampering with physical evidence, a felony, and his second DUI (aggravating circumstances).
Pate was arrested the evening of March 8 by Kentucky State Trooper Joey Beasley after becoming involved in a two-vehicle accident that injured Jill Lanning, of Leitchfield. The wreck happened in the 9400 block of Hwy 259, near McDaniels.
Kentucky State Police spokesman Scotty Sharp said the investigation revealed that Pate was driving his personal vehicle, a 2018 Chevrolet pickup truck, when he struck a 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis, being driven by Lanning. After striking Lanning’s vehicle, Pate’s truck struck a utility pole before coming to rest in a barbwire fence.
Lanning was transported to Breckinridge County Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries and later released.
After the accident, Pate was seen by witnesses hiding beer in a tree line. When Beasley arrived on the scene, the sheriff was “standing above his truck in a wooded area,” according to the arrest citation.
Beasley wrote in the citations that Pate exuded a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person, blood shot eyes, slurred speech and (was) unsteady on his feet.” Beasley also said he had to ask Pate to “lean against the rear” of his cruiser “so he would not fall into traffic.”
The citation says that Pate consented to a “breath test,” and recorded a .159, nearly twice the legal limit of .08.
It was revealed earlier this month that an Irvington Police Officer stopped Pate within an hour of the accident after someone called 911 to report a reckless driver who was crossing over multiple lanes of traffic, and who could be “asleep at the wheel.”
Irvington officer Craig Ball was inside Auggy Doggie’s gas station, on Hwy 60 between Irvington and Harned, when dispatch issued the alert on the possible impaired driver. Ball stepped outside the convenience store and observed a vehicle matching the description given by dispatch. Ball approached the truck and had a conversation with Pate before allowing the sheriff to drive away.
Irvington Police Chief Brandon Brinkley said that Ball “did what he’s trained to do and the sheriff showed no signs of impairment … unfortunately, sometimes you miss things.”
This incident marks the second time since October 2015 that Pate has been charged with DUI. Pate was arrested in Bowling Green after being found intoxicated and behind the wheel of a vehicle in the parking lot of a Waffle House. Police had been looking for Pate after his wife swore out a warrant against him for threatening to kill her and her parents. He was charged with terroristic threatening and DUI among other charges. He later pled guilty to DUI.
According to Pate’s attorney, the sheriff entered a 45-day treatment program in Tennessee within a few days of his latest drunk driving arrest.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
