According to police, a uniformed bicycle patrol officer noticed 24-year-old
Vick and a female involved in an altercation in a car at approximately 2 a.m.
The officer asked if assistance was needed before asking Vick for his driver?s
license. According to police, he sped away, but was stopped after a few minutes.

Vick was given a field sobriety test, which he failed, and then charged with
DUI, misdemeanor eluding police, reckless driving, driving on the wrong side of
the road, and driving with a suspended license. Vick?s passenger, Miami, Florida
resident Delicia Cordon, was charged with being drunk in public.

Vick was released on $1,000 bond on Friday and is scheduled for a June 16
court appearance, according to Major Mike O?Toole of the Norfolk Sheriff?s
Office.

After repeated brushes with the law and a record of on and off the field
misbehavior, Vick was kicked off the football team at Virginia Tech. In March
of 2006, he pled guilty to traffic violations in Hampton, which brought an end
to his college career as he was under a ?zero tolerance? policy.

Tonight Show Regular Headlines Comedy Show at Infuzion -
June 11, 2008 @ 7:20 to benefit Stone Circle of Friends Charity

(Doors open at 6:30 for those who wish to purchase dinner/drinks. This will be a non-smoking event.)

Infuzion 1401 Roseneath Road, Richmond, VA 23230

BobBattleLaw.com ?Fun Raisers? and Stone Circle of Friends charity are honored to present the summer?s hottest comedy show at Richmond?s coolest new club (literally). The show stars Tonight Show regular Brett Leake and America's Funniest Trial Lawyer Bob Battle.  Infuzion features the first Ice Lounge in America. The fully enclosed area adjacent to the main room features a bar and tables carved completely from ice and will be open before and after the show! Special thanks to Infuzion which is giving us the room for free and letting us keep 100% of the ticket price! Please support them by planning to purchase dinner and/or ?a few cold ones? at the club on June 11. Thanks to our comics for donating their extremely valuable services for free.

Tickets are available at the charity?s website at www.StoneCircleofFriends.com for $50/apiece.

The Stone Circle of Friends is a charity founded by Todd and Edibell Stone to raise money for research for finding a cure for Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy. The Stone?s boys, Nicholas (10) and Elliott (8) were diagnosed with this disease and the leading researcher in the country is at the University of Virginia. To learn more about the Stone brothers, please watch the moving video put together by Todd at their website listed above.

2 Tickets to the event will fund an hour of research and, for these 2 boys, every hour matters.

*Law Firms- this is the perfect summer associate or firm outing.

Contact Edibell Stone at 804-467-9998 or Bob Battle at 804-673-5600 for more information on Sponsorship opportunities.

 For full details about show, click here.

The most punitive part of the sentence, calling for the teen to be detained
until she turns 21 in September 2011, was suspended by Loudoun County
juvenile court Judge Pamela Brooks. She also ordered the girl?s driver?s
license be revoked and that she get a job to repay $5,000 in funeral expenses
for the family of the victim.

On the night of September 20, 59-year-old Kathleen Becker died instantly
after a head-on collision between her van and the teen?s sports-utility
vehicle. According to the authorities, the girl had been ?binge drinking?
before and during a football game at Westfield
High School, where she
was a senior. Her blood-alcohol level registered 0.17, over twice the legal
limit for adults.

The girl?s name was not released because she is a minor.

Sheaves received air transport to the University of Virginia Medical Center after the wreck which took place shortly before 7:30 a.m. According to Sgt. David Cooper of the Virginia State Police, she died of her injuries the following day.

According to Virginia State Police Sgt. Frank Pyanoe, 21-year-old Jeremy Rasnake was driving his 1988 Ford Bronco north on Route 340 when he apparently dozed off, causing his vehicle to cross the center line and hit the 1998 Ford Thunderbird driven by Sheave head-on. Forty-four-year-old Carl Simmons was driving south in a 1999 Ford Escort. Pyanoe said he swerved off the right side of the road to try and avoid the wreckage, but struck a tree and rear-ended the Thunderbird.

According to a nurse, Rasnake and Simmons both received transport to Augusta Medical Center and were treated and released.

Pyanoe said that police on the scene did not initially know alcohol was a factor, but it was later determined by a state trooper who interviewed Rasnake at the hospital. Pyanoe said Rasnake was charged with DUI, driving with a suspended license, and driving without a seatbelt.

According to the authorities, shortly after 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, an
eastbound truck ran off Snead Road
and struck a parked vehicle. The impact caused the car to spin around and
strike two people who were standing beside it.

According to police, the truck?s driver, Carmen Alejandro Garcia-Hernandez,
made an attempt to leave the scene on foot. However, he was stalled by
witnesses until police could arrive.

According to police, 40-year-old Joseph Owens and 44-year-old Catherine
Jones were taken to VCU Medical Center, but were pronounced dead there shortly
after 1:00 a.m.

When Fossella was arrested in Virginia for drunk driving earlier in May, police
reported his blood-alcohol content to be more than twice the legal limit of the
state. Now, the accuracy of the machine used to test his blood-alcohol level
could be a critical part of his case against the charge.



According to The Daily News, Fossella?s
attorneys are building a defense around problems with the specific model of
breathalyzer used.



The paper reported that on two different machines that night, Fossella?s
blood-alcohol level registered different levels. His blood-alcohol content
registered at a higher level on the second machine.



Reportedly, the Congressman?s legal team has subpoenaed files from the maker of
the breathalyzer in order to highlight a pattern of problems. One file that
will aid their argument is a Virginia
government report from last year which called the machines ?unstable and
unreliable.?

According to the ruling by City Court Judge Thomas Berning, the breath tests are inadmissable due to the manufacturer of the machine not making the inner workings available to the defense. The company, CMI Inc. of Kentucky, has refused to reveal its source codes in any state. They are even being sued by the State of Minnesota for breach of contract for refusing to reveal the source code in that state even when ordered to do so by a judge!

The Intoxilyzer 5000 breath machines used in Virginia are all 10 to 12 years old and CMI even has a weaker argument in Virginia for not revealing the "trade secrets" of their source code since the machine is no longer being manufactured and Virgnia has awarded its next contract for breath machines to a different company. The question that should be asked for anyone with a pending DUI in Virginia is what does the company have to hide? In New Jersey, a different manufacturer of a different breath machine complied with the Courts request to reveal its source code and defense software and other technical experts found that the software did not meet government standards. Thus, in New Jersey, the source code was found to be not even "close enough for government work!"

According to James Nesci, a defense attorney for one of the cases, 50 to 70 pending cases were awaiting the ruling from Berning. The cases aren't entirely dismissed by the ruling, only the breath tests.

According to the Tuscon Citizen, every alcohol breath test conducted in Arizona since December 1, 2006, which the Intoxilizer 8000 machine made by CMI was adopted by the state, could be potentially be affected.

According to Travis County, Illinois Sheriff's Department spokesman Roger Wade, as a result of the May 3 incident, Benson will face charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. Both charges are class B misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in prison and a $2,000 fine.

While operating the boat with 15 passengers on board, Benson was stopped for a random inspection by a Lower Colorado River Authority officer. According to the authority, he failed the sobriety test and was uncooperative when the officer attempted to bring him ashore.

Cooper?s opinion shelved Sen. Rosalind Kurita?s amendment, which sought to stop DUI defense attorneys from advertising their expertise.

The attorney general?s opinion ? reported by the Nashville Post ? stated, ?The Tennessee Supreme Court has the inherent constitutional authority to regulate the courts and the attorneys who practice before them. Sen. Kurita?s amendment improperly attempts to exercise powers properly belonging to the Supreme Court.?

Cooper felt Kurita?s amendment challenged the First Amendment right of any DUI defense attorney who wanted to advertise his or her services. In part, his opinion stated, ?DUI defendants have a substantial interest in learning as much as possible about the attorneys who will represent them.?

In response to the attorney general?s action, Kurita said simply, ?I?ll have to find another way to curtail drunk driving.? In an August primary, she will oppose Tim Barnes, an attorney whose practice includes DUI defense.

In drafting her amendment, Kurita maintained the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) does not officially certify expertise in DUI defense, so lawyers shouldn't be able to bill themselves as experts, according to the Tennessean Newspaper.

"The issue is misrepresenting that there is such as thing as specializing in DUI defense," she had said. ?Prosecutors have a hard enough time convicting drunken drivers without lawyers advertising their expertise in the field and offering discounts to DUI defendants. Is this morally what we want, to allow people to have advertisements that say, ?let me get you off your drunk-driving charge?? I mean it?s like we?re saying that it?s OK.?

From the start, Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle argued Kurita's proposal would violate commercial free speech.

"What is so un-American about someone charged with a crime to be able to find an attorney who can represent them?" he told the Tennessean. "Is there any basis that we can constitutionally tell someone they can't advertise what they're doing, if what they're doing is legal?"

The Memphis attorney went on to say if lawyers abide by the ethical standards of the TBA, they should have the right to advertise their profession.

However, Kurita maintained the TBA does not ?officially certify expertise in DUI defense, so lawyers shouldn't be able to bill themselves as experts.? She told the Tennessean, "The issue is misrepresenting there is such as thing as specializing in DUI defense."

On March 1, 2008,  in Smyth County outside Roanoke, Wythe County Juvenile Court Judge Michael K. Blankenship was stopped on Interstate 81 and charged with driving under the influence. On May 20, the judge is headed to the courthouse but this time, to traffic court, reports the Wytheville Enterprise.

Blankenship is charged with two misdemeanors ? DUI and Refusal  to submit to a Breath/Blood test according to Virginia State Police (VSP). 

And there is more trouble for 43-year-old judge.

Last weekend in Powhatan, Virginia, Blankenship received a traffic citation for failing to report an accident. VSP claim eyewitnesses saw Blankenship run off the road, hit a telephone box, proceed to drive over an embankment and then hit a tree. VSP have not determined if alcohol factored in that incident, reported the Roanoke Times.

 In the I-81 DUI arrest, VSP trooper R.D. Collins stopped Blankenship?s Subaru after receiving a tip from Washington County police that a vehicle?s driver might be impaired.  Collins observed Blankenship driving erratically before pulling the judge over and requesting a breath test, reports the NBC television affiliate in Roanoke, WSLS.

Blankenship was appointed to the 27th Judicial District as a juvenile and domestic relations court judge in the summer of 2005 by the Virginia General Assembly. That district covers Wythe, Bland, Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, Carroll and Grayson counties and the cities of Radford and Galax.

Before his appointment to the bench, Blankenship served six years as Wythe County?s commonwealth?s attorney and before that, he was an assistant prosecutor in Smyth County. 

http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/new_river_valley/article/judge_charged_with_dui/6724/

Staten Island, N.Y. congressman Vito J. Fossella was arrested in Alexandria VA  and charged with DUI by Alexandria, Va. police on the George Washington Memorial Parkway  according to NBC4.com.

The New York Daily News said Fossella called it "an error in judgment."

The Republican congressman said in a statement: "As a parent, I know that taking even one drink of alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a car is wrong, I apologize to my family and the constituents of New York's 13th Congressional District for embarrassing them, as well as myself."

Fossella, 43, was arrested between midnight and 2 a.m., said Alexandria Police spokesman Lt. Ray Hazel. Fossella was charged with driving while intoxicated as a first offense, which under Virginia law requires a blood-alcohol level of 0.08% or higher, Hazel said

Back home, Democrat Steve Harrison, who is trying to unseat Fossella in the 13^th District, said his foe should "seriously consider leaving Congress."

Said Harrison to the Daily News, "It's not an 'embarrassment,' it's a crime. He didn't admit anything. What the error in judgment is, he doesn't say," Harrison said.

Fossella - elected in November 1997 - is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He is a former city councilman. His district includes all of Staten Island and the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Gravesend, according to the Daily News.

Nationwide, an estimated 30.5 million people age 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once last year according to SAMHSA.

Wisconsin ranked first in the nation at 26.4%, followed by North Dakota (24.9%) and Minnesota (23.5%). Utah ranked the lowest at 9.5% and it was the lone state where fewer than 10 percent of adult drivers said they had driven under the influence. Many Utah residents are Mormon, which forbids the use of alcohol.

Virginia ranked 36^th with 13.6% while neighboring states were even lower: North Carolina ranked 48^th (10.4%) and West Virginia, 49^th (10.1%). But the District of Columbia ranked 10^th at 19.1%.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 16,700 deaths in 2004 were caused by accidents involving motorists who had consumed alcohol. The NHTSA said driving under the influence of alcohol and illicit drugs is one of the leading sources of preventable-death-by-injury in the nation.

Over the last decade however, impaired drivers involved in alcohol-related crashes has remained the same -- from 12,348 in 1996 to 12,491 in 2006. These statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation involves drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.08 percent or higher.

?This report highlights the enormous public health risk posed by this problem ? one threatening the lives of many Americans every day,? SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D., said.  ?By highlighting the scope and nature of this problem in each state, we can help communities best use their efforts and resources to address this preventable menace.?

Lucile Gatchell, 64 of Gloucester was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and failing to stay in a marked traffic lane, said the Boston Globe. A witness driving behind Gatchell saw her vehicle swerving and was dialing 9-1-1 when the vehicle crossed into the path of Bullock?s vehicle on East Main Street.

Gloucester Police Lt. Jerry Cook said both vehicles were traveling 15-20 mph at the time of the collision and were totaled. Cook said Gatchell tested .20 on an alcohol breath test, two and a half times the state legal limit. Gatchell had no previous criminal record, according to Cook.

Bullock and James were being driven by Mark Hussey, of Londonderry, N.H.. Hussey tried to avoid the oncoming vehicle but could not turn out of the way, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.

There were no injuries.

Bullock was filming a movie in the area. She stars in the romantic-comedy "The Proposal," which also stars Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson, in Rockport, Mass.

According to Detective Sharon Hahn, Anthony failed to pass a series of sobriety tests and was subsequently charged with DUI. Hahn said he was taken to police headquarters and released to a "sober responsible party."

Anthony played his worst game of the season on the night of the arrest, being held to 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting against a Houston Rockets team that was without defensive specialist Shane Battier.

In February, Anthony was pulled over in Colorado for driving 25 mph over the posted speed limit.

According to Bell, shortly after 6 p.m. on the day of the crash, a vehicle lost control in a curve on a two-lane road north of Four Oaks, N.C. According to an eyewitness, the vehicle ran onto the shoulder and struck Lassiter, who was standing on the roadside. The vehicle then reentered the roadway and veered right again, crashing into a ditch.

According to investigators, the man was driving 25 mph above the speed limit. Bell said that the 1995 Chevrolet Camaro the man was driving had been stolen.

After crashing into the ditch, the driver exited his vehicle and ran into the woods nearby.

State troopers and Johnston County Sheriff's deputies set a perimeter up around the woods and arrested the man when he came out, according to Bell.

According to Bell, Rodriguez's blood-alcohol level was 0.21, over twice the legal limit of 0.08.

The man, 60-year-old John Stroop, pled not guilty befor Maginstrate Gregory Chapman in Municipal Court on Monday, April 7 to charges of driving with fictitious license plates and a traffic lane violation. A hearing on the felony charge of DUI is upcoming.

According to Farrah Emami, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's office, Spiezio's lawyer entered the plea of guilty as part of a plea agreement. Spiezio has been ordered to serve three years probation, undergo a three-month alcohol program, attend two meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, and complete 80 hours of community service.

Spiezio has also been ordered to pay fines and restitution of about $1,700, which includes damages of $839 caused by the crash, according to Emami.

The Cardinals cut Spiezio in February after an arrest warrant was issued for him. According to prosecutors, he crashed his vehicle into a curb and fence in Irvine, California and then ran away. The police were informed by a neighbor that Spiezio had arrived at their condo complex appearing disheveled with an apparent injury. According to the neighbor, whom court papers identify as "Michael P.," Spiezio allegedly punched him, resulting in significant injuries.

Spiezio was charged with misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault, assault, and battery because of the neighbor's allegations, but the charges were dropped because he "was pleading guilty to two counts and had a relationship" with the neighbor, according to Emami.

State Sen. Arthur O'Neill (R-Southbury) called the idea "very interesting" and said he believes it could reduce the likelihood of someone drinking and driving.

The proposed incentive would cut a liquor permit holder's maximum liability from $250,00 to $100,00 in case of a patron getting into a DUI accident. However,  use of the breathalyzer would be voluntary and results would not be permitted in criminal or legal proceedings.

Bar and restaurant owners with liquor permits would also be required to post signage notifying patrons that transportation would be arranged, at the expense of the customer, for anyone needing a ride home.

Dan Mottola, a Bethel, Connecticut restaurant owner, said he has always made a point of finding transportation for customers who have had too much to drink, even going so far as to drive them home himself if necessary.  He says that smaller bar areas like his make monitoring drinking easier, but the legislation could be useful in larger clubs where it is more difficult to monitor alcohol consumption.

Mottola said that it was worth consideration if it will prevent people from driving under the influence, getting into accidents, and harming others. "I'm all for it -- as long as it doesn't become invasive of personal rights," he said.

The state was seeking a 10-year sentence for Michael Douglas Duncan, who tried to flee from the police in August of last year while he was operating a motorcycle while drunk. He was found guilty of two third-degree felonies in February. One count was for the DUI offense, the other was for his attempt to elude and resist an Ocala, Florida Police officer who attempted to pull him over.

Duncan faced a potential maximum prison sentence of 20 years after being labeled as a habitual felony offender for the three previous DUI convictions. In addition to the prison sentence, Circuit Judge David Eddy also permanently revoked Duncan's license.

Duncan pleaded with the judge, mentioning the his various losses during incarceration, including a new home, a business, and time spent with his children. However, the judge dismissed his pleas, saying that he should have considered his children before he chose to operate his motorcycle while drunk and flee an officer.

Duncan is also required to pay a $2,500 fine in addition to court costs and will serve an additional three years for a previous unemployment fraud conviction.

Kravetz said that the officer gave Sambora field sobriety tests and arrested him without incident. He was booked at the Laguna Beach jail before being released at 4:00 a.m. Kravetz said that Sambora fully cooperated with the police.

Kravetz said that a woman and two girls were passengers in Sambora's Hummber, but declined to release their names.

According to Kravetz, Sambora was given notice that he is to appear in court on May 7 on charges of one misdemeanor count of DUI.

Sambora is one of Bon Jovi's founding members. The band released their last album, "Lost Highway," in 2007.

The parents of John Graziano filed suit against Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea in Pinellas County. The suit states Bollea is responsible for the August 26 crash in Clearwater, since he was aware his son, John liked to speed and race. Nick Bollea, 17 is charged with reckless driving. Graziano, 23 was a passenger in Bollea?s Toyota Supra when it crashed into a tree, the Associated Press reported. Clearwater police said Bollea was racing a friend on wet roads at the time of the crash.

The suit names Hogan?s wife, Linda, her son, Nick and Daniel Jacobs ? the other driver - as defendants in the case. Linda Bollea has filed for divorce from her husband.

Edward and Debra Graziano didn?t specify financial damages sought but said their son, an Iraq War Marine veteran, could need millions of dollars to pay for lifelong medical care. He remains hospitalized with head injuries almost seven months after the accident.

?He never will be fully the John he was before,? said George Tregos, the Graziano?s attorney.

But Morris Weinberg, the attorney for the Bollea family, says he wasn't surprised by the suit and likely will argue that Graziano was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, the AP said.

Hogan, Linda, Nick and their daughter, Brooke star in the reality TV show ?Hogan Knows Best? on the VH1 network.

A California man who was wanted for charges including kidnapping, armed, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and driving under the influence, among others, was captured in Virginia by U.S. Marshals.

The Sheriff's department of Sacramento County, California tipped off Marshals and Sheriff's deputies from Rockingham County, who found Igor Babiy working in Harrisonburg at a construction site.

After a nearly five month search, officers arrested Babiy. In October of 2007, Babiy was released on two bonds of a total of $1.5 million before going on the run, according to Marshals.

An addition charge of being a fugitive from justice is also being faced by Babiy, placed by the Sheriff's Office of Rockingham County. The previous charges against him from California include kidnap for robbery, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, felony evasion, DUI, and malcious harm of the dog of a peace officer.

Babiy awaits extradition to California, where he could face a life sentence.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the Magistrate Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, State Police stopped 21-year-old Ashley Nicole Ulbrich after receiving a call about a woman recklessly driving a green Jeep on U.S. 119.

According to the complaint, officers tried to give Ulbrich a field sobriety test, but stopped due to concerns over her safety. She later admitted that she took two Clonazepam pills in the parking lot of a Charleston, West Virginia Wal-Mart.

The complaint says that police found the child in the back of the Jeep after pulling Ulbrich over.

Charges were filed against Ulbrich for child neglect resulting in risk of injury in addition to driving under the influence with a minor in the vehicle. She was transported to South Central Regional Jail the evening of the incident.

The complaint was filed in February in Circuit Court and alleges that Shaun Mowbray was driving his vehicle in a manner that was careless and reckless when it crashed into the sport utility of Officer Randall Vaiden.

Vaiden was a school resource officer at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. On the day of the crash, October 10, he was off duty and driving on Holland Road close to the intersection of Diana Lee Drive. The 30-year-old officer was killed instantly in the accident.

Reckless driving charges were filed against Mowbray and on March 20 he is scheduled to appear in General District Court.

The ruling mirrors the Virginia statute which states a defendant may present evidence or argue without evidence that his or her BAC level at the police precinct was higher than that at the scene.

Lopez?s attorney, Fred Peters, said the prosecutorial version could unfairly convict an innocent motorist who had consumed no alcohol before driving. He posed the scenario of a motorist having a drink in a broken down vehicle while waiting for the tow truck.

Supreme Court Ruling Helps Protect the Innocent

Peters also argued it can take alcohol up to 90 minutes to enter the bloodstream, even though he presented no supporting evidence at trial.

Fayette County (Ky.) Prosecutor Margaret Kannensohn said the ruling creates confusion in that it prohibits them from arguing a third of the jury instructions in DUI cases.? It would be as if a soldier were given three bullets with instructions to fire them," she said, "then told that they had wrongly fired the third bullet, which leads to confusion." She said she hopes the General Assembly clarifies the ruling.

Meanwhile, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is concerned. "When the public believes or perceives that DUI laws don't have teeth, it breeds disdain for the law," said Angela Leigh, MADD state executive director.

As a freshman, Colquitt was involved in more than one alcohol-related incident. He is the fourth member of his family to play the punter position for the Volunteers.

In late February, the 22-year-old struck a parked car before he fled the scene, said the Knoxville (Tenn.) Police Department (KPD). KPD spokesman Mark Pressley said Colquitt was visibly intoxicated and could not complete field sobriety tests.

?I am very disappointed that Britton doesn't appreciate the blessings he has been given from his family and his team," coach Fulmer said. ?He will be required to undergo alcohol counseling as well as other internal punishments"

As a freshman, Colquitt, was suspended from the team when he faced multiple alcohol-related charges in several incidents. He rejoined the team later in the year after he pleaded no contest to a charge of underage alcohol consumption. A judge sentenced him to one year?s probation.

Colquitt is the younger brother of college All-American punter Dustin Colquitt, who currently plays for the NFL?s Kansas City Chiefs.

Mike Ward, Commonwealth?s Attorney for Marshall and Calloway counties, faces DUI charges after being stopped by Lexington police in February. Ward had recently returned to his job after having taken a leave of absence for medical reasons.

After the arrest, Ward told the media, "I have struggled with issues regarding alcohol for years, and I made a poor decision the night I was arrested. I have brought embarrassment on my family and friends and humiliation to myself."

Ward plans to continue to serve as Commonwealth Attorney for Marshall and Calloway counties. He served as Commonwealth Attorney for Calloway and Marshall counties for 19 years but was defeated in a re-election in 2000. Six years later, Ward regained his post in a Democratic primary election.

Ward asked for forgiveness and said, "I am ready to pay the price for my actions. I expect no special treatment and am prepared to receive the same punishment anyone else would in this situation."

Ward's arraignment is set for March 14 in Marshall County District Court.

Isaac Santos, 38, died instantaneously and his wife, 48-year-old Linda Solorzano, from Buffalo N.Y. died shortly after midnight in a medical helicopter that was transporting her to the University of Virginia Medical Center after their van was struck by the tractor-trailer driven by 33-year-old Santa Ana, California native Uy Tan Hong. Hong and another person in the tractor-trailer received non-life-threatening injuries.

Santos and Solorzano were were traveling from North Carolina to Buffalo, as they were helping their daughter move back home. Police said that the daughter witnessed the wreck from a vehicle she was traveling behind the van in.

Emergency personnel called the wreck one of the worst they've ever seen. According to 1st Sgt. Bryan Hutcheson of the Virginia State Police said that the vehicles collided at full speed.

The Harrisonburg Fire Department and Rescue Squad responded to the wreck at mile marker 244.7 shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to police, the 2001 Peterbilt tractor-trailer Hong was driving veered from the southbound lane, crossed the median, and struck the van head-on. The two vehicles landed in a roughly 20-foot ditch east of the interstate's northbound lanes. While in the ditch, the truck jackknifed and shredded the van.

The interstate was shut down in both directions for several hours because of the wreck.

Hutcheson said that Hong was charged with reckless driving, but there are likely to be no additional charges filed. He said that they believe Hong was distracted from within the truck and had taken his eyes off the road.

Four medical helicopters were initially dispatched to the scene, but only two were needed to take patients to the Charlottesville medical center. Solorzano was a passenger in one, the other carried 41-year-old Ha M. Tuan, Hong's passenger, who was listed in good condition as of Wednesday.

Trooper K.S. Chapman was sitting stationary in his patrol vehicle after just finishing a routine traffic stop. Suddenly, his vehicle was struck by a pick up truck.

The injuries Chapman received left him in sever condition, requiring air transport for him to be taken to Bristol Medical Center.

The 32-year-old driver of the truck that struck the patrol vehicle of Chapman, Barry Dean Marshall, has been charged with a DUI. There are additional charges still pending against him.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), five of the 10 U.S. states that carry the highest fines for speeding are on the I-95 corridor between the southeast and New England: Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and New Hampshire. Speeders receive a maximum fine of $500 or more for the first offense. In North Carolina and Georgia, as well as 16 other states, also have the option to add a jail sentence.

The other states on the list are Illinois, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Kansas.

In Virginia, which is the only new addition to the list, a $1,050 surcharge to state residents in addition to the $300 speeding fine was instituted in July. The idea of the law is to raise money for state infrastructure projects without having to raise taxes. Virginia natives are the only ones the law applies to.

Virginia state legislator David Albo spearheaded the law. He noted that stats from the Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission of Virginia showed a decrease of 11 percent in arrests for reckless driving since the law was passed in addition to a slight drop in speeding tickets.

The NHTSA says that the national median for the top-end fine of a first time offender is $200. The national median for a first offender's top-end fine is $200, according to the NHTSA.

Several factors go into how much a speeding ticket can cost you, including how much you were exceeding the speed limit, whether or not you are a repeat offender, or if you were caught speeding in a school zone or construction area.

According to the NHTSA figures, young males are caught speeding more than anyone else. Last year 38 percent of men under 21 were caught speeding.

According to the agency, the most recent Operation Air, Land, and Speed of the state police produced 1,033 citations for violations during the two-day traffic safety effort.

There were no fatalities reported on the three interstates the police push targeted.

Col. Steven Flaherty, the Virginia State Police's superintendent, said that in comparison to the last Operation Air, Land, and Speed the police conducted on the three interstates, this one produced lower enforcement totals. He said that they hope this indicates that more drivers now realize the importance of highway safety and are driving in compliance with Virginia traffic laws.

On I-85, 188 speeders and 148 reckless drivers were stopped by state troopers. There were also one drunken driver arrested, 10 seat belt violations issued, and seven felony arrests made.

On I-77, there were 52 speeders, six reckless drivers, and eight seat belt violations cited by state troopers.

In last February's operation, there were 1,810 summonses and arrests on I-295 and I-85. Another initiative on I-77 in June produced 245 summonses and arrests.

Edward Beckner, the father of Derrick Beckner, the victim, said that the family said to one another after returning from the court that they felt like they had lost Derrick for a second time.

Beckner, who died on July 5, was a 21-year-old standout student and athlete at James Madison University. He would have graduated this May.

At approximately 1:25 a.m. on the night of the incident, Beckner was killed instantly as he was coming home from a baseball game. The car driven by Matthew Bradley crossed the median on Staples Mill Road near the Interstate 295 interchange, approximately a mile from the home of Beckner. Bradley's car went airborne, landing on the vehicle of Beckner.

In his testimony, Beckner's father described the accident as looking "like a toy car some child had pushed down on too hard." He said that he found out about the wreck hours after it occurred on television. He then drove to the scene, where he learned that his son was the victim.

The original charges Bradley, a 23-year-old resident of Ashland, Virginia, faced were involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence. After his arrest, he was freed on $70,000 bond. In December he received a conviction for DUI and involuntary manslaughter, a reduced charge with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Ashley Cooper, Beckner's sister, described Bradley as someone who considered a few beers more important than her brother's life.

Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Huberman urged that the judge impose a long prison sentence, ridiculing Bradley's reference to the death of Beckner as a "complication" he needed to put behind him. Huberman said that Bradley held no true remorse for Beckner's death.

Seven years of an eight-year sentence were suspended by Balfour, who also ordered Bradley to no active time for DUI, agreeing to allow him to be placed on work release while in prison.

Edward Beckner said that they had thought he would receive two or three years, instead he was disappointed that the court "bent over backwards to be lenient," rather than "cracking down" on drinking and driving.

The report also shows that thousands of motorists are unwilling or unable to pay the fees. As the fees were approved in February, a person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor driving offense has to pay $250 to $1,050 a year for three consecutive years. If the motorist fails to pay, the Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend the person's driver's license.

Gary Collins, best known for hosting the TV show, ?The New Hollywood Squares,? was charged with DUI Oct. 29, two weeks after being involved in an accid