Man with three previous DUIs arrested for DUI hit-and-run that sent victim to hospital
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – James Danen Metts, 54, was arrested last night and charged with failing to stop after a crash involving serious bodily injury, driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent offense), and driving without a valid license after he allegedly fled the scene of a crash that sent a victim to the hospital.
At about 7:04 p.m. on Sunday, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper responded to the intersection of NW 98th Street and W. Newberry Road, where a green pickup truck had reportedly hit a silver 4Runner and fled. The driver of the 4Runner was transported to the hospital with injuries.
A witness at the scene of the accident provided a description of the pickup truck and its driver, who was located on NW 13th Avenue. The pickup truck reportedly had damage to the fender and wheel area and silver paint exchange on the front bumper and fender areas. The trooper reported finding several bottles of whiskey in the pickup truck, and two witnesses near the truck reportedly said that the driver, later identified as Metts, was “acting strange” and had gotten out of the pickup truck and “stumble[d] around,” then walked away until an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy detained him.
Metts reportedly told the Trooper that his brakes had failed before he hit the 4Runner, but then he blacked out and did not remember what happened. He reportedly denied drinking alcoholic beverages, but the Trooper reported that he could smell whiskey (the same odor as the bottles from the pickup truck) on his breath.
Post Miranda, Metts reportedly declined to answer any questions and refused to perform field sobriety exercises or submit a breath sample.
Metts has six felony convictions (one violent) and 13 misdemeanor convictions (three violent). He was issued a criminal traffic citation (a summons to appear at a future hearing) on March 9 for having a stolen tag on his vehicle; the citation noted that he was identified via his Florida ID card but did not cite him for driving without a valid license. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held on $121,000 bail.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
Three strikes and you get a lethal injection. He’ll kill someone eventually so better to nip it in the bud.
I see what you did there. You went all Barney Fife. Love it! Couldnt agree more.
The previous public attorneys and judges’ paychecks should docked for letting this happen.
Why aren’t judges held accountable for the decisions they make letting habitual offenders out to just offend again?
Judges and parole board members should have to publicly answer for the decisions they make.
Lock this idiot up and throw away the key. He’s going to kill someone and is only worried about saving himself.
Looked this guy up in Alachua County Court Records and he has 2.5 pages of cases against him, dating back to 1989. Some violent offenses, many of them traffic offenses, he gets stopped with a stolen tag and ends up back on the street, driving drunk.
Why in God’s name isn’t he just permanently in prison?
When these POS get to this point they need to see a prison sentence. He is intentionally getting drunk, getting behind the wheel of a vehicle knowing he is not allowed to drive, and then hitting another car and hurting someone, and fleeing from his crime.. When you technically look at it the charge should be attempted murder by weaponizing a vehicle to harm a innocent person he doesn’t even know. Unfortunely the state of Florida let’s DUI crimes remain as a minor offense with little repercussions until they actually take a human life and even then the sentencing is light when you consider that the offender intentionally chose to drive drunk. This guy doesnt appear like he cares that he hurt someone by his statements to Law Enforcement and his continued criminal activity. He has more than two pages of entries in Alachua County court records alone.
Time to lock this POS up for the rest of his pathetic life before he kills an innocent person with his stupidity. No damn use for someone like this.
He needs the “jaws-of-life” to open up his skull. He’s incapable or just chooses not to use his brain – take it out and use it for a science experiment about the effects of alcohol.
Anyone else notice the intentional scars around the eyebrows, or the removal of his earlobes?
There isn’t any stopping this one….until he finally kills someone and then maybe the judges will put him away for good.