A Fairfield man is facing an OWI charge after a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy clocked him traveling 104 miles per hour on Highway 34 Friday morning before conducting a traffic stop that revealed signs of intoxication.
Ashton Weaver, 24, has been charged with Operating While Under the Influence, First Offense, a serious misdemeanor, and Excessive Speed — 21 MPH and Over, a scheduled violation. The alleged incident occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. on Friday, August 14th.
According to court documents, a deputy on routine patrol westbound on Highway 34 observed a vehicle traveling eastbound in the left lane at what appeared to be a high rate of speed. Radar confirmed the vehicle was traveling 104 mph. The vehicle continued weaving around other vehicles before taking the Highway 210 off-ramp into Fairfield, where it continued through town at a high rate of speed. The deputy caught up to the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop at 23rd Street and Jefferson Avenue.
Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy observed empty alcoholic beverage cans on the rear floorboard and additional alcoholic containers on the front passenger floorboard. Weaver, the sole occupant, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and the odor of alcohol was detected both from within the vehicle and from Weaver himself. When asked, Weaver admitted to consuming alcohol, according to court documents.
Weaver consented to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which showed signs of impairment, and a preliminary breath test that indicated a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of .08 percent. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, where a DataMaster breath test indicated a blood alcohol content of .162 percent — more than twice the legal limit.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office addressed the severity of the situation in a social media post. “Excessive speed alone is dangerous. Operating a vehicle while intoxicated is dangerous. Combining the two creates an extremely dangerous situation for the driver and everyone else on the road,” the post read.
Weaver has since posted a $1,300 surety bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 25th.
