MONTGOMERY COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Virginia Tech wide receiver Deon Newsome pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge on Monday after being found passed out in a Wal-Mart last October.
On October 18, 2015, at 6:26 a.m., Christiansburg police officers responded to Wal-Mart because Newsome was passed out in the frozen foods section on one of the store's motorized carts, according to the Montgomery County Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Pettitt.
Recommended Videos
Newsome was taken to the hospital out of concern that he had alcohol poisoning and after treatment, he was arrested for being drunk in public. Newsome told authorities that he had driven to the Wal-Mart at about 5 a.m.Â
He was given field sobriety tests and placed under arrest for DUI at about 9:30 a.m., since more than three hours had elapsed between the time he drove and the time officers arrested him for DUI, Newsome was not subject to implied consent and Pettitt said police did not have a certificate of analysis to use to prove his level of intoxication.
Police could prove that he had driven, but we couldn't prove his blood alcohol content or level of impairment at the time of the driving.
That's why Pettitt said charge was amended to reckless driving, a class 1 misdemeanor, and Newsome pleaded guilty.
Newsome received 60 days in jail, all suspended, $250 fine, six months loss of driver's license and he must complete the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program. The drunk in public was dropped as part of the agreement.