Senator Lugar Wife Charged with DUI and hit and run

[HipChick]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/19/AR2009111902945.html

The wife of Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) was arrested in McLean on Wednesday night after crashing into a parked car, and she was charged with drunk driving and hit-and-run, Fairfax County police said Thursday.

Charlene S. Lugar, 77, was stopped shortly after 6:30 p.m. by an officer who noticed smoke coming from her car and damage to the front end of the car as she drove on Old Dominion Drive, Officer Bud Walker said. The officer pulled her over near Dominion Reserve Drive, "developed probable cause that she was intoxicated" and arrested her. He did not release her alleged blood-alcohol content.

Walker said the officer investigated the damage to Lugar's car and determined that she had hit a car in the 7100 block of Churchhill Road in McLean, not far from where she was stopped.

Lugar was taken to the Fairfax jail, where she was given a breathalyzer test and taken into custody. She was released several hours later, Fairfax sheriff's Lt. Sonny Cachuela said.

Senator Lugar's office released a statement which said that "No other persons were in her car or the unattended car she hit. Thankfully, no one was injured. We are deeply sorry and embarrassed that this accident has occurred."

[vadawg]

1. wonder how this is going to go down in the court, will be interesting to see what she gets.

[paulsby]

2. we had one of our state supreme court justices do the same thing

DUI with hit and run. she got the usual. a fine and probation.

[vadawg]

3. yup probuably the same here, i dont know her BAC, but the commonwealth attorney will offer a plea

as they normally do.

[Mind_your_head]

10. It will all be "disappeared". Bank on it! End of story. eom

[vadawg]

11. nope not in the county courts there it wont be, there will be a plea the same as every other time

but going by past performance from the court there she wont get any special treatment, dude she even had to sit in a cell until she dried out, she never got any special treatment even after they found out who she was...

[Mind_your_head]

13. Sure. If you say so.....

Are you following me or what? You're a "creeper". Ick Back off.

[vadawg]

14. lol yeah thats why i posted in this thread first ya wank

:facepalm:

[Mind_your_head]

15. well, okay. You're right......

you don't have to call me names (wank) - whatever the h*ll that is.

and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I don't *like* you (and I'm quite sure you don't *like* me either)....so we're probably 'even' there.

Peace & 'nite.

[vadawg]

16. i dont even know you so how the hell can i dislike you, i might not agree with you

it still dosent mean im going to dislike you either, either you have thin skin or telepathic abilities my friend...

[Bitwit1234]

19. She is a republican so you know she'll get a slap on the wrist

look at Nicole Bush and the fat windbag Rush Limbaugh, caught with drugs, selling etc and bush got a few weeks in jail and Rush was let go and nothing else said. Look at Coulter, voter fraud. Not even prosecuted. Then there's Sanford, governor of SC(R) spending state money and abonding his post to visit a girl friend, and the one of the most notorious Vitter(R) running around in a diaper while visiting a prostitute. But Governor Spitzer a (D) was asked to resign for visiting a prostitute.

Now think, if it were you or I who did any of these any things were would we be.

[imdjh]

24. I'm a Democrat and I got a slap on the wrist, expensive slap , but a slap.

For the right amount of money you get probation before verdict, a restricted license for 90 days, a big fine, some insurance thing, and an annoying class led by an old drunk.

However, I didn't have an accident. That might complicate things.

[vadawg]

45. well if its a first time DUI its a class one misdemeanour which is $2500 fine, 1 year jail

maximum but like most first timers it will depend on how drunk she was, if above .015 then she gets 5 days in jail no questions asked, above 0.020 its ten days. Now the hit and run i believe there was not enough probable cause for it so the charge had to be dropped..

on edit forgot to add mandatory vasap classes and loss of licence for one year....

[imdjh]

23. First offense is $300 extortion, $300 blackmail, and take a class isn't it?

PLus the $1500 you pay the lawyer, and the additional $100 month you pay to the insurance scam because the state requires you to get a paper from the insurance company which guarantees they know about the DUI.

You'd almost think it's all about the money.

[cabluedem]

44. Dude where you live? In my county the first offense DUI fine is 2800 dollars...

you bet its about the money. At least here it is.

The traffic fines are outrageous too, particularly when the cops run stop signals, speed and make illegal U-turns with no lights or sirens.

Damn straight its about revenue generation.

[Barack_America]

4. Oddly, I just reported a hit and run that just happened outside my apartment.

Just 20 minutes or so ago.

The fucker (drunk, no doubt) hit two parked cars outside my building. I peeked my head out and heard him try to start his car. I thought, "oh hell no" and ran downstairs in my stocking feet and got his plates. Called the cops, gave them his plates and he drove off before they got there.

Problem is that Philly cops are so busy there's probably no way they're going to track him down tonight and give him a breathalyzer.

[barbtries]

22. they should make it a top priority

the next car he runs into might have people in it. or someone might be walking across the street, like my daughter, who was killed by a hit and run driver. the police cannot blow that off, it's a clear and present danger.

[Barack_America]

27. They still haven't come.

I saw the owner of the parked car outside and ran out to give him the license plate number. Gave him my info too and told him to call me if the police showed up. They didn't.

I am so sorry about the tragic loss of your daughter. Sincerely and achingly sorry. :hug:

You are so right that police need to take these incidents more seriously to prevent such tragedies.

[barbtries]

30. thank you for your thoughts

i'm disgusted at the police in your town.

[Barack_America]

31. The cops came.

And she was very thorough and interested. The individual cops seem to care even if the "system" does not.

In any case, I gave her the plates and she ran them. Turns out the guy lives in the neighborhood. She left saying she was going to pay him a visit and then returned for a while and filled out paperwork in her car. When she left, I couldn't help but notice she took the same route that the guy took when he drove off. I'm hoping that the amount of time she spent on this means he won't be getting away with it after all.

The only sad thing is she expressed honest shock that I would go downstairs and get the guys plates instead of just gaping out my window and going back to sleep. If riding down an elevator, jotting down some info and making a phone call is more than most people nowdays are willing to do for their fellow citizens, it's little wonder why our society is in the shape it currently is.

I really hope that the person who murdered your daughter was caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

[barbtries]

35. thank you

for being a good citizen, and i'm glad the person who did that will know the consequences of his actions. it is a sad commentary that the policewoman was shocked by your good deed. you did the right thing, and if it wasn't for people like yourself, the woman who murdered my daughter may not have ever been caught.

she got 4 years. from an original 5 felonies including murder, they pled her down to 2 felonies and she got the least amount of time for those. she spent 2 years and 3 months in prison. everyday tragedy, everyday travesty.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

5. 6:30 P.M.? Huston, we have a problem.

When you are already hammered just as the sun goes down, there is a bigger issue than you just had a few pops to end the day.

Of course, if I was married to Luger, I would probably start drinking around 0600.

[vadawg]

6. happy hour begins at 4pm, say 5 manhattans later, 630pm is doable

if im drinking im usually finished by about 9am and rolling into bed....

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. O.K. maybe you have been drinking

Per your post "I'm usually finished by 9 A.M." Me too! 4 P.M to 9 A.m. and I doubt I could even stand up, much less speak English.

[vadawg]

12. lol no i mean i start about 730am when i finish work, then i grill and drink

and then go to bed,

[Flabbergasted]

7. Depending on her weight and what she ate, if anything, and how much she drinks...

DUI could be one cocktail.

[Ex Lurker]

17. at 77 it probably doesn't take much to get lit up, either. n/t

[imdjh]

41. Not to mention it makes the librium go ZING!

[Drunken Irishman]

8. By 6:30 pm I've already pissed myself and started on round three.

[NNN0LHI]

18. Lol

You guys kill me.

Don

[imdjh]

25. Here in Florida, people get DUI's in the morning.

[SpiralHawk]

20. Spare America, please, from any more Republicon Family Values

Running away from responsibility -- is soooo Republicon. So unAmerican.

[barbtries]

21. not an accident

it's a drunk driving crash.

[imdjh]

26. Oh thank you Madame driver rehab class.

[barbtries]

29. you're welcome sir

[Barack_America]

32. You might check out post #22.

[imdjh]

40. Yep, that's sad but it doesn't alter the facts about DUI policy....

Which are that if driving at .08 wasn't illegal or immoral 30 years ago, then it might be illegal now but it isn't suddenly immoral.

Which are that virtually every adult by the age of 80 will have driven while legally drunk at least once, especially if MADD and the police corporations succeed in lowering the limit to .04.

That DUI is a revenue stream.

That some people act like the above three statements are false.

That sometimes people get killed by drunk drivers who would have been killed anyway, we just will never know.

And specific to her remark, that accidents happen even when people have been drinking or make mistakes.

And finally, that there but for the grace of god go nearly all of us imperfect people. J

[barbtries]

46. do you still go out and drink and drive?

or have you learned that it's just not worth it? it should cost a fortune to be so stupid and put other people's lives in jeopardy. and fuck you, my daughter had another 60+ years to go.

[AzDar]

28. Kick.

Republicans suck.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[ddeclue]

34. Ruht-roh...

At least no one was hurt.

[lonestarnot]

36. oopsie. At least she didn't kill a kid and get off.

[imdjh]

37. Like?

[Sebastian Doyle]

39. Pickles Bush.

:shrug:

[imdjh]

42. I didn't know she was drunk, I thought she was just malevolent.

[Drunken Irishman]

43. She was drunk on Jesus.

[lonestarnot]

47. Yeah that thing.

:)

[Bobbie Jo]

38. Hoosier K&R