Richard J. Patterson, Drunk Off-Duty Cop Hurt with Wife in Motorcycle Crash, Draws Jail Time
 |
The original felony charges were for driving under the influence causing injury and driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or higher causing injury, as well as a sentencing enhancement for his blood alcohol level of .15 percent being almost twice the legal limit. The lower range for conviction on those charges is probation and three years in jail is the upper end.
Besides the month-and-a-half of jail, Patterson received three years of informal probation, nine months in a first offender alcohol program and completion of a Mother's Against Drunk Driving Victim's Impact Panel.
Around 6:30 p.m. on July 5, Patterson was heading north on the 405 near Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley, where he smashed his motorcycle into the back of a car. Although the people in the car weren't hurt, both Patterson and his wife were hospitalized at Western Medical Center. Patterson was treated for injuries to his hip while his wife suffered a knee injury and abrasions to her arms and hand.
Two hours after the crash, Patterson had blood alcohol level of .15 percent, according to California Highway Patrol officers who investigated the wreck.
Previous coverage:
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
