COUNTY OFFICIAL WAS DRIVING UTV AT OVER TWICE THE LEGAL ALCOHOL LIMIT, UNABLE TO STAND UP AFTER BEING TAKEN OUT OF VEHICLE BY TROOPER
AUGUST 14, 2021 – written by WADE QUEEN
MARTIN COUNTY MAGISTRATE ROGER D. PREECE
A Martin County magistrate was arrested for DUI while driving a side-by-side utility vehicle on Wednesday night August 11.
According to the arrest report written by the arresting trooper from the Kentucky State Police Post 9 in Pikeville, Kentucky; trooper Dustin Thompson; KSP post 9 received numerous calls from the Martin County area that a person several callers identified as “Magistrate Roger Preece”, was highly intoxicated and operating a side-by-side on Davella Road.
One complaint that was received stated that Roger Preece was operating the side-by-side with his pants pulled down. The responding trooper patrolled the area and eventually located Roger D. Preece, 60, of Inez, after being stopped by a resident of the area who stated that Roger Preece was wearing a bright orange shirt and that the side-by-side was camo in color.
The trooper turned his cruiser around and began to follow the side-by-side, The trooper observed the vehicle swerving from left to right and on the grass on the side of the roadway at one point. The trooper activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle.
The vehicle failed to stop, at which point the trooper began activating his siren. The vehicle still failed to stop, the trooper fully activated his siren and continued to follow the vehicle at a slow speed. The vehicle continued to swerve and Roger Preece began turning the headlights off and back on. Due to the erratic operation and no traffic on the roadway, the trooper continued following the vehicle at the slow speed it was traveling.
The side-by-side began to make a left hand turn onto a small side road at which point the trooper followed. Roger Preece then stopped the side-by-side. The trooper immediately exited his cruiser and approached Roger Preece, giving commands to exit the side-side vehicle, which Roger Preece failed to do.
As the trooper continued approaching the vehicle, he began smelling a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and continued giving commands to Roger Preece to exit the vehicle. Roger Preece did not turn the vehicle off and did not exit the vehicle, at which time the trooper grabbed Roger Preece and removed him from his position of operation.
The trooper picked up Roger Preece up off the ground and continued to escort him to his police cruiser. Roger Preece had very slurred speech and he had a very strong odor of alcohol emitting from his person, and was very unbalanced and he had a hard time standing
Roger Preece was placed in handcuffs and then was placed in the backseat of the trooper’s cruiser. Due to his balance issues and flight risk, SFST‘s were not performed by the trooper.
Roger Preece was transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, where Implied Consent was read to Roger Preece.
Roger Preece declined to contact an attorney, and he submitted to a breathalyzer test, which showed Roger Preece to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.173, which is more than twice the legal limit.
Roger Preece did not request a personal test and was very apologetic to the trooper for his actions throughout the Wednesday evening.
In all, Roger D. Preece was charged with a total of six charges stemming from his wild drunken flight from a state trooper,which were as the following:
*OPERATING MOTOR VEHICLE UNDER/INFLUENCE ALCOHOL (189A.010(1B) – 1ST OFFENSE (AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES),
*FLEEING OR EVADING POLICE, 2ND DEGREE (MOTOR VEHICLE),
* RESISTING ARREST,
* RECKLESS DRIVING,
* ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES VIOLATIONS,
* FAILURE OF OWNER TO MAINTAIN REQUIRED INSURANCE/SECURITY, 1ST OFFENSE.
Magistrate Preece posted his bond and was released from the BSRDC late Thursday morning, August 12.
Bad, Bad Magistrate!