Bizarre drunk driving case ends in crash in Hanover
By From NBC12 News
WWBT-TV
July 6, 2006
Authorities say a Virginia man was too drunk to drive. So, he let his 14-year-old son get behind the wheel. The story only gets more bizarre from there. To make matters worse, deputies say, the child had been drinking, too.
The father and son were headed through Hanover County when they crashed.
The pair left their home just outside of Harrisonburg Friday night headed to Virginia Beach for the holiday. Authorities don't know exactly when the 14-year-old got behind the wheel.
It's when they got into Ashland, 911 calls started coming in that an "erratic driver" was going down Highway 54. Deputies say the 14-year-old was driving around 65 miles-per-hour -- when he lost control of the 2001 Mustang and hit a tree.
Witnesses told deputies "a small driver" was ejected from the car. The vehicle was totaled.
When deputies arrived at the scene, the father, 36-year-old James Holbert, reportedly confessed to being drunk and asking his teenage son to drive. The son admitted to having a few drinks as well.
They both had a brief hospital stay before being turned over to the sheriff's department.
Holbert was arrested for felony child neglect.
His 14-year-old son was charged with a DUI and driving without a license.
Sgt. Kevin Trice says, “The child has submitted to a blood test and we're waiting the final results of that to make a determination exactly where we are with his blood alcohol content, whether it's over .8 or under .8."
James Holbert was released from custody on his own recognizance earlier this week. He had to agree to show up for court in September. Meanwhile, authorities are waiting for lab results to come back on how high the boy's blood alcohol level was.
By From NBC12 News
WWBT-TV
July 6, 2006
Authorities say a Virginia man was too drunk to drive. So, he let his 14-year-old son get behind the wheel. The story only gets more bizarre from there. To make matters worse, deputies say, the child had been drinking, too.
The father and son were headed through Hanover County when they crashed.
The pair left their home just outside of Harrisonburg Friday night headed to Virginia Beach for the holiday. Authorities don't know exactly when the 14-year-old got behind the wheel.
It's when they got into Ashland, 911 calls started coming in that an "erratic driver" was going down Highway 54. Deputies say the 14-year-old was driving around 65 miles-per-hour -- when he lost control of the 2001 Mustang and hit a tree.
Witnesses told deputies "a small driver" was ejected from the car. The vehicle was totaled.
When deputies arrived at the scene, the father, 36-year-old James Holbert, reportedly confessed to being drunk and asking his teenage son to drive. The son admitted to having a few drinks as well.
They both had a brief hospital stay before being turned over to the sheriff's department.
Holbert was arrested for felony child neglect.
His 14-year-old son was charged with a DUI and driving without a license.
Sgt. Kevin Trice says, “The child has submitted to a blood test and we're waiting the final results of that to make a determination exactly where we are with his blood alcohol content, whether it's over .8 or under .8."
James Holbert was released from custody on his own recognizance earlier this week. He had to agree to show up for court in September. Meanwhile, authorities are waiting for lab results to come back on how high the boy's blood alcohol level was.
