BEDFORD – A crash in April at the intersection of State Road 37 and Rariden Hill has resulted in felony charges for an Oolitic man after toxicology results revealed a high blood alcohol content at the time of the incident.
According to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Deputy C. Pruett of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, the crash occurred on April 24 at approximately 11:05 p.m.. The weather was clear, and the roadway was dry. A red 2007 Honda Accord, driven by Philip D. Middleton, 46, of Oolitic, and a red 2010 Ford Escape collided. The Escape contained three occupants: The adult driver, an adult passenger, and a juvenile passenger.
Upon arrival, first responders were already at the scene. Deputy Pruett found Middleton lying on the ground about twenty feet from his heavily damaged vehicle. A witness stated he saw Middleton in the driver’s seat of the Accord before he attempted to run away, but tripped and fell.
The adult occupants of the Ford Escape both stated that Middleton’s vehicle had no lights on when it attempted to cross State Road 37 and crashed into them. The adult passenger complained of pain and had difficulty breathing due to what was later determined to be a fractured rib, and the driver had cuts and a bruise to her right leg. The juvenile passenger also complained of pain and a bruise to their chest from the seatbelt. The victim’s fractured rib constitutes a serious bodily injury.
When Deputy Pruett attempted to speak with Middleton, he was incoherent, stating only that he was not driving and that the driver was “Jamaican” and had run away. Middleton had cuts to his face and arms. Both Middleton and the driver of the Escape consented to blood draws at the hospital.
On June 28, Deputy Pruett received the toxicology results. The driver of the Escape’s results showed no alcohol or drugs detected. Philip Middleton’s results, however, showed a blood alcohol content of 0.161 g/100mL, which is more than twice the legal limit.
Based on the investigation and toxicology report, a warrant has been requested for the arrest of Philip D. Middleton on a charge of OWI causing serious bodily injury, a felony. He was detained on Sunday, August 3.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
