911 Calls Lead to DWI Convictions and Likely Lives Saved, LIVINGSTON, October 1, 2021 - On September 29, 2021 a Polk County jury found 52 year-old Tracy Todd Adrian of Livingston, guilty of the offense of driving while intoxicated. According to information presented in court, at approximately 1:35 a.m. on April 7th of 2019, a 911 caller told a dispatcher that Adrian’s vehicle, which was traveling East-bound on US-190 and, was “…all over the road…like really, really bad…he just almost ran into the guardrail…” In a matter of minutes an officer with the Livingston Police Department responded and made contact with Adrian. Following the officer’s investigation, which included the administration of the standardized field sobriety tests (SFST’s), Adrian was arrested for DWI and a specimen of his blood was drawn pursuant to a search warrant. An analysis of Adrian’s blood showed Adrian had a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit.
Michael Jermaine Chidester, 41
The very next day after Adrian’s conviction, a separate Polk County jury found 41 year old Michael Jermaine Chidester guilty of driving while intoxicated-second offense. Not unlike the Adrian case, it was a 911 caller that reached out to law enforcement authorities. This time at approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 14, 2020, to report that “…there’s a car…going North-bound in the South-bound lane [of Highway 59]…hauling ass…it passed us…” This time it was deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department who responded to the scene in a matter of minutes. When deputies made contact with the driver, identified as Chidester, they said he seemed confused and admitted to consuming two beers. Chidester refused to submit to the SFST’s and his blood was drawn pursuant to a search warrant. An analysis of Chidester’s blood showed Chidester had a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit. While the analysis showed Chidester was intoxicated, it was excluded from the trial because of issues related to its admissibility. Likewise the video of the deputies’ encounter with Chidester was also excluded at trial. “Prosecuting a DWI case without a blood alcohol analysis or SFST’s presents a unique set of challenges to say the least,” stated Assistant District Attorney, Tommy L. Coleman. Coleman was the prosecutor who handled both cases. “Fortunately the jury found the testimony of the deputies in the case to be credible and obviously thought that the other evidence in the case was sufficient to support a guilty verdict,” Coleman added.
Adrian faces up to six months in jail and up to a $2,000.00 fine. As for Chidester, because this is his second conviction for DWI, he faces up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.00. “The danger to the motoring public by intoxicated drivers cannot be overstated and all too often other innocent motorists suffer the tragic consequences of bad choices made by intoxicated drivers,” stated Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon. “We appreciate these Polk County jurors reminding everyone that you will be held accountable in this county if you choose to drive drunk or high,” Hon added.
If you would like to comment on this story, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at pctletters@gmail.com. Be sure to include the story subject in the subject line of your email, also list your name and town in your letter. Your letter will be posted in Letters to the Editor.
