State Rep. Jim Lucas addresses drunk driving
SEYMOUR, Ind. (WISH) — Weeks after his drunk driving arrest in late May, Indiana State Rep. Jim Lucas addressed the incident in a “confessional” post on Facebook Wednesday.
Around midnight May 31, Lucas was arrested by Indiana State Police for drunk driving. Lucas crashed his truck into a guardrail while driving the wrong way on the ramp to I-65 from State Road 11.
Seymour police later found Lucas at a Seymour carpet store with the damaged truck. Lucas failed a sobriety test and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.097, which is over the state’s threshold. Lucas was then arrested and taken to the Jackson County jail.
Lucas writes in the post that he acknowledges his “recent mistakes,” saying that he takes full responsibility. Lucas also says he is getting professional help, and that he has humiliated many people.
“I’ve learned and will continue to learn every day for the rest of my life from these mistakes and errors in judgment. I am and will be a much better person because of this,” Lucas said.
He concludes his post by thanking his wife, friends that have supported him, and “the haters.”
“We’re all different and we can disagree, and I will strive to give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise. Thank you all for reminding me of the importance of constantly striving to be a better, stronger person today than I was yesterday,” Lucas said in the post.
On June 12, Lucas signed an agreement with the Jackson County prosecutor, pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.
On June 13, he was sentenced to complete the conditions of the agreement without any jail time.
The agreement called that Lucas received no additional jail time as long as he completes 180 days of supervised probation, including alcohol and drug abuse treatment if mandated, and paid $4,000 in restitution for the damage caused by the crash.
Lucas did not face any immediate legislative discipline for the arrest, and will continue his position as state representative.
Related coverage
