LUMBERTON — A Lumberton city councilman was charged with driving while impaired on Sunday after his vehicle rear-ended another car that had stopped at a traffic light, causing a minor fender-bender.
According to a report by Officer Brandon Ivey, who investigated the accident, Columbus “Chris” Benjamin Howard, 69, of 127 Page St., had a blood-alcohol content of .13. In North Carolina, anyone with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or above is considered to be impaired.
Howard, who was elected to the City Council in 2015, represents Precinct 6. His term expires in 2019.
It is the fourth time Howard has been charged with a DWI since 2003, but he has only been convicted of it just once previously.
According to the arrest report, Howard was taken before a magistrate and then released to his wife.
The accident report said that Howard, who was alone in the vehicle, was driving a 1997 Ford north on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive when his vehicle struck the rear bumper of a 2006 Pontiac that had come to a stop at West Second Street.
The Pontiac was being driven by Misty Hunt, 31, of 516 E. Eighth St. There were two passengers in her car, Dejah Jacobs and Leo Lcevedo.
No one was injured, according to the report.
The report said $500 damage was done to the Pontiac, and $100 of damage to Howard’s car.
According to an impairment calculator, a person of Howard’s weight, 139 pounds, would have to consume five drinks to reach a blood-alcohol content level of .13. For every 40 minutes after the first drink is consumed, the level would drop by .01.
In North Carolina, a person who is convicted of a DWI could face the following penalties: immediate license suspension for 30 days, with the possibility of limited driving privileges after 10 days; up to a $200 fine; between 24 hours and 60 days in jail; and be subject to a substance abuse assessment.
There are potentially thousands of dollars in additional costs, including for a lawyer and increased insurance costs.
According to court records, Howard was convicted of DWI in 2003, and a year later was guilty of driving while his license was revoked.
He was charged with a DWI in 2011, but it was not prosecuted and he pled guilty to driving left of center. In 2014 he was charged with DWI but was found not guilty.
