A Linton man was convicted of OVWI after crashing his truck on Carbody Hill in Redbird about a year ago. This month he was arrested for OVWI after crashing into a utility pole on Base Road.

Steven Kent Dougherty, 54, Linton, was arrested by Deputy James Carpenter of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on Sunday afternoon, November 14. Dougherty posted bond and was released but when a petition to revoke a suspended sentence was filed against him in an earlier case, a warrant for his arrest was issued and he was booked in again last Wednesday, November 24.

Around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14, Deputy Carpenter responded to a crash in the area of Base Road and 2nd Street, Linton, where a vehicle had crashed into a pole. Dougherty was the driver.

When Deputy Carpenter arrived, along with Linton Police Officer Davis Aerne, he saw a utility pole had been hit and was still standing up, attached to the utility wires. But it was on the north side of Base Road instead of the south side. Officer Aerne worked the scene and Deputy Carpenter left to find the driver.

Dougherty was located about a block away in the driveway of his ex-wife’s residence. Dougherty allegedly said he pulled out of the driveway and his truck shifted into second gear and got sideways. He said when this happened, it felt neat and he floored the truck and lost control. He also admitted he’d had a couple of drinks but had quit drinking hours earlier.

Deputy Carpenter reported smelling the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Dougherty, and that he had slurred speech and unsteady balance. Dougherty was transported and according to Deputy Carpenter, he failed standard field sobriety testing then the results of a certified chemical breath test showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .197. The legal limit is .08.

Dougherty was booked into the Greene County Jail at 4:08 p.m. with bond set at $8,500 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted bond and was released. He retained a defense attorney from Bloomington and the defense waived the initial hearing. Dougherty has been charged with:

Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, with a prior within seven years, a Level 6 felony,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, with a prior within seven years, a Level 6 felony,
Operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more, a Class A misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more, with a prior conviction, a Level 6 felony, and
Leaving the scene of an accident, a Class B misdemeanor.

Then last Monday, November 22, the Greene County Probation Department filed a motion to revoke Dougherty’s suspended sentence in the earlier case. In late January, Dougherty was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 174 days suspended.

Now he’s being held in jail without bond.

To read the story previously posted on GreeneStreets about the earlier case, click on the Tag “Steven Kent Dougherty” below this story.