KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Authorities said on Monday, April 10 that the St. Joseph County sheriff had a blood alcohol content level more than three times the legal limit in the hours after a crash on US-131 in February.
According to court records, a blood draw conducted about two and a half hours following the crash indicated that Mark Lillywhite’s Blood Alcohol Concentration was .252. The legal limit in Michigan is .08.
Authorities go onto say that the 47-year-old was going nearly 100 miles per hour when he rear-ended another car, causing it to roll. Michigan State Police say Lillywhite was clearly drunk when troopers arrived, eyes bloodshot, staggering and slurring his words.
Police reports show he denied being the driver of his SUV, though there was no one else in it.
The Kalamazoo County prosecutor issued two misdemeanor charges against Lillywhite last week: a count of operating while intoxicated and a count of carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence of alcohol, with both carrying sentences of up to 93 days in jail and fines.
If convicted of the weapons charge, his concealed pistol license would be revoked.
But authorities also say that neither of the charges will cause the sheriff to lose his certification as a police officer under the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
