Illinois Fire Chief Charged with DUI
Posted on Nov 21, 2009 3:37pm PST
In Sauget, Illinois, the southwestern Illinois village's fire chief, 48 year old Roger Thornton, was recently charged with driving under the influence (DUI). This past week, he was sentenced with two years of probation by a local criminal court.
According to reports, Fire Chief Roger Thornton was drunk driving in a SUV owned by the village when he crashed into a concrete pole. After crashing, he was stopped by law enforcement who arrested him and later pressed criminal charges.
Thornton and his attorney were able to reach a plea bargain with prosecutors. Under the deal, Thornton will have to pay a $3,000 fine. He will also have to attend alcohol counseling. The judge presiding over his case said that if Thornton did not incur a second DUI in the next 2 years, his conviction would not be shown to the public nor would his license be revoked.
Prior to this recent incident in October, Thornton had no DUI charges. He told the press that he made "a grave error in judgment". He also apologized to all people that were involved.
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