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PDF versionHARRISVILLE -- One of two Ogden police officers charged with drunken driving while off duty has pleaded guilty to an amended charge while the other is scheduled for trial.
Jared Tongsaeng Ingalsbe, 28, slammed into a power pole in the area of 1400 N. Washington Blvd. on June 30, leading to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, a class B misdemeanor.
The impact sheared the pole, causing part of it and power lines to fall onto the roadway, police said.
Damage from the crash is estimated at more than $10,000, including roughly $1,000 to each of four other vehicles from debris either at the time of the crash or shortly afterward.
During the Harrisville Justice Court's regular Wednesday evening session, Ingalsbe pleaded guilty to an amended charge of reckless driving, also a class B misdemeanor, in a plea bargain.
Judge James Beesley sentenced him to a $595 fine to be paid in full by Jan. 18. If the fine is not paid by then, a 45-day jail sentence that has been suspended will be invoked.
He has been on administrative leave with pay.
Ingalsbe was briefly hospitalized the night of the accident with injuries from the crash. His blood- alcohol level was not tested for more than two hours, resulting in a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 percent, lower than the legal limit.
But based on the rate at which the body metabolizes alcohol, authorities believe Ingalsbe's BAC was at least 0.08 at the time of the crash.
In addition, the drug Zolpidem, a generic for the sleeping aid Ambien, was found in Ingalsbe's system.
Police said the drug would not be measured in the BAC test, but could cause impairment similar to a 0.16 alcohol level.
In the second case, a one-day trial has been set for Jan. 7 before Beesley for Detective Robert Tracy Buck, 34, on his Aug. 30 DUI arrest in Harrisville.
Police said he was observed by police speeding and drifting over the center line several times near 1800 North and U.S. 89.
He reportedly admitted to an officer that "he had too many to be driving."
He was later found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.122. His status with the department has not been released.
Drivers under the influence of alcohol/drugs
He ONLY has to pay a fine and is still employed but on leave with PAY? STUPID. All idiots that drink and drive should have their drivers license revoked, HUGE fines, Court ordered classes and for all our sakes, should not be cops out on the streets stopping other drunks!
Please...
So basically he did NOT plead guilty to DUI. This is why some people have poor perceptions of police officers. It is perhaps not fair to stereotype all of them, but there are far too many of these stories. It seems many police officers love to enforce the law but then somehow get the impression that they are above it.