HAGER HILL, Ky. — A Johnson County man has been arrested on felony charges, after being involved in a wreck while allegedly under the influence.
Police were called to a two-car crash on Route 1428, at Hager Hill. When they arrived on the scene, a woman approached to inform them that her father, Phillip Brent Murray, 48, of West Van Lear, was one of the drivers and had been drinking.
Murray was arrested for DUI after he failed a field sobriety test and then blew a 0.211 on a breathalyzer — more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit.
A witness told police Murray caused the crash by driving on the wrong side of the highway.
The other driver was interviewed while being treated for head and neck injuries at the hospital. He told police he saw Murray coming toward him, so he tried to swerve, but Murray swerved at the same time and their cars collided.
Murray first told police he hadn’t been drinking, then later admitted to drinking two shots. However, police found two empty bottles of Southern Comfort in his car.
Murray was also arrested Aug. 31 on a DUI charge, after police observed him swerving while driving through Paintsville.
In addition to the new DUI charge, Murray also faces two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. He is being held in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville on a $5,000 cash bond.
