Jim Lucas booking photo, May 31, 2023
BROWNSTOWN — Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor criminal charges including operating a vehicle while intoxicated after state police said he crashed his vehicle through an interstate guardrail and then drove away with “major front-end damage” and “blown/missing tires.”
Lucas, 58, pleaded guilty Monday in Jackson Superior Court 2 to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, and leaving the scene of an accident, a Class B misdemeanor, according to a negotiated plea agreement between the state lawmaker and Jackson County Prosecutor Jeffrey A. Chalfant.
The plea agreement came the same day that Jackson County prosecutors filed the charges against Lucas, with the matter going from charges being filed to sentencing in fewer than eight hours.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Lucas will receive a 60-day suspended jail sentence and one year of probation for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, as well as a 180-day suspended jail sentence and one year of probation for leaving the scene of an accident.
Lucas’ driver’s license also will be suspended for 60 days and he will have to pay an estimated $3,929.62 in restitution and other fees and submit to an alcohol and drug abuse program for evaluation.
During the evidentiary phased of the hearing — conducted by Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant — Lucas admitted being intoxicated at the time of the evidence and leaving the scene of a wreck.
Along with the license suspension, MacTavish did grant Lucas approval to drive only for the purposes of business in the counties where he has customers between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays. He also ordered Lucas to not be in possession of alcohol or drink alcohol during his probationary period. Lucas also was ordered to not possess any firearms or deadly weapons during his probationary period.
Lucas’s attorney Mark Dove said for the record Lucas’ insurance will likely cover the damage that he caused to the property of the INDOT.
“This is a standard plea agreement for a first-time operating while intoxicated case, and the defendant is also pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and agreeing to pay restitution for all property damage he caused,” said Chalfant told the court.
Upon the completion of the plea agreement hearing, MacTavish wished Lucas good luck on his completing the necessary requirements of his probation.
The charges stem from an incident on May 31 when Indiana State Police were notified that a vehicle drove down an embankment near Exit 55 on Interstate 65 in Jackson County, hit a guardrail, backed up and then drove off, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday.
Dispatch reported that the vehicle had “heavy front-end damage and was smoking.” About 15 minutes later, the Seymour Police Department received a call that a vehicle with “heavy front-end damage and possibly blown tires” was southbound on State Road 11 near Redding Street in Seymour.
A state police officer arrived at Exit 55 and noticed “major guardrail damage” and was assisted by a Seymour police officer to “push the interstate guardrail back out of the roadway.”
By the time that the officer had the guardrail out of the roadway, Seymour police had located the suspected driver of the vehicle, later identified as Lucas, “stumbling” near Carpet Gallery on Redding Street in Seymour.
A state police officer went to question Lucas about the accident. “I then read Mr. Lucas his Miranda Rights,” the probable cause affidavit states. “…I asked Mr. Lucas if he understood his rights, he stated that he did. I asked him with his rights in mind, if he would like to answer any questions I might have regarding the crash. Mr. Lucas stated that he did not want to.”
The vehicle, a Toyota Tundra, was located behind Carpet Gallery, 2111 N. Ewing St. in Seymour, with “major front-end damage, blown/missing tires and a camper shell over the bed.”
Lucas consented to breath and field sobriety tests and failed vision and walking and balance tests. The breathalyzer came back with a .097 blood alcohol level, according to court documents.
“During the walking portion of the test, I observed Mr. Lucas to miss heel to toe, step off the line and perform an improper turn. …During (a one leg stand test) I observed Mr. Lucas to sway, use his arms to balance and put his foot down.”
Lucas was then transported to Schneck Medical Center for a blood draw and then transported to Jackson County Jail.
Lucas’ toxicology results have not come back from the lab and probably won’t be back for weeks to months depending on how fast the test is processed in the lab, according to Sgt. Steve Wheeles, Indiana State Police spokesman.
“While waiting at the hospital, Mr. Lucas made the statement that he was out celebrating with his wife, and then life threw him a curveball,” the probable cause affidavit states. “Mr. Lucas did not elaborate or go into any further detail.”
Lucas was later asked if he would be willing to provide a brief statement for the crash support, and he said, “I thought I saw a deer, how’s that?”
Police confiscated two pistols from Lucas during his arrest which were submitted into evidence for safekeeping.
— The Seymour Tribune contributed to this story.
