Drunk driving, meth land Fuqua in jail
A convicted meth trafficker with a prior record of drunk driving will spend Christmas behind bars after he allegedly slammed into a sheriff’s patrol car while under the influence.
The defendant, Chris Fuqua, 31, was sentenced Wednesday to serve the balance of his eight-year sentence for the drunk driving crash which violated his probation agreement. The balance he will serve comes from his earlier conviction on manufacture of meth charges for a drug raid in which he was arrested along with his girlfriend and former McMinnville Police narcotics investigator Robert Spangler.
Fuqua was free on probation for the meth conviction when he reportedly slammed his car into a patrol car driven by deputy Mark Hillis on the evening of Dec. 11. The accident happened on Short Mountain Road when Fuqua topped a hill and slammed into the back of the cruiser. While Hillis escaped injury, sheriff’s chief deputy Danice Taylor said the cruiser was totaled.
A highway patrolman who investigated the crash charged Fuqua with drunk driving, saying the suspect had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Fuqua also allegedly admitted to drinking beer at a party earlier and declined to take a breath test.
Failure to submit to a breath test is a crime which will mean the automatic forfeiture of his driver’s license for at least six months under the implied consent law.
A subsequent check of Fuqua’s record revealed two prior convictions, meaning, if convicted, he will face a minimum of 120 days in jail in addition to his violation of probation, plus a three-year forfeiture of driving privileges.