A Celebrity Arrest and a Tragic Teen Death – DWI Incidents in Texas
Lou Diamond Phillips, the actor who shot to fame with his portrayal of Ritchie Valens, was arrested for DWI on the 3rd of November in Portland, Texas. He was later released on a bail of $2,500. Phillips stopped to ask for directions at a traffic stop, was suspected of being drunk. He failed the field sobriety tests that the officer on duty administered.
Phillips had a blood alcohol level of 0.20%, which is more than twice the legal limit for drivers. The legal limit is 0.8. He was arrested a few hours before a scheduled speaking arrangement. A BAC of 0.15 and higher is a Class A misdemeanor and invites prison of up to one year. Phillips is a 1980 graduate of Corpus Christi’s Flour Bluff High School.
In another news, Alexis Butler, a vivacious 18-year old, lost her life when she suffered fatal injuries on 10th November. A truck rammed her Toyota Camry as she was backing out of a driveway on Redstone Drive, Arlington.
The driver claimed that he was distracted because he was forced to blow into an ignition interlock device just moments before the crash. The driver was identified as Blake Cowan, aged 31. Records revealed that the driver has already been booked twice for DWI. The breathalyzer was installed after the second booking.
Lt. Chris Cook stated, “He has to provide a [breath] specimen every 15 minutes. He said he looked down for three to four seconds, and never saw her vehicle, and that’s when the collision occurred.”
The case presents an interesting legal scenario, one that most attorneys say they have not encountered. It remains to be seen if speeding was an issue in this case.
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