Deputy arrested for DUI in his patrol car
Sheriff's Deputy Faces DUI Charges
Fri Jul 26, 7:22 AM ET
An off-duty Orange County sheriff's deputy was arrested early Thursday morning on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, officials said.
Deputy Ricky Simmons was traveling at high speeds when he drove his patrol car into a ditch on state Road 417, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.
A breathalyzer test showed Simmons registered a .18 blood-alcohol level, which is more than twice the legal limit.
"It's a sad situation. We got a call about 4:30 this morning. One of our deputies pulled up on an incident where one of our off-duty deputies in a marked unit had skidded off the road into a ditch," Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman Angelo Nieves said.
Simmons was traveling at between 80 and 85 mph along the Greeneway, when he lost control of his vehicle, troopers said.
Another Orange County sheriff's deputy discovered the accident and noticed that alcohol may possibly be involved, and he notified a supervisor, Nieves said.
"We're tough on drunk driving, and we're going to do the same thing for our deputies or anyone else who's under the influence. It's a sad situation," Nieves said.
The sheriff's office has launched a professional standards investigation, and Simmons has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation, officials said.
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