Thursday, May 28, 2009
Ohio man sentenced for DUI crash that killed Rocky Mount officer
An Ohio man convicted of causing the Oct. 11 head-on crash that killed a Rocky Mount police officer will spend 11 years behind bars.
Brooks Ryan Leisure was convicted in February of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor driving under the influence in the wreck, which killed Jason William Maxey. He was sentenced this afternoon in Roanoke Circuit Court to serve 10 years in prison, with another 10 years suspended, on the first charge, and another 12 months in prison on the misdemeanor charge.
According to previous court testimony, the night of the wreck, Leisure first went to All Sports Cafe on Grandin Road, where he drank liquor and beer, before going to Awful Arthur's at Towers Shopping Center, where he continued to drink. He then left the bar to go to a friend's house.
Shortly before 2 a.m., witnesses saw the Isuzu Rodeo that Leisure was driving turn off Colonial Avenue and go the wrong way up an exit ramp that leads down from southbound U.S. 220. It collided with Maxey's Chevrolet Malibu in a curve between Elm Avenue and Franklin Road. Both vehicles were likely moving at more than 60 mph.
Toxicology tests showed that Leisure had a blood-alcohol content of about 0.19 percent at the time of the crash, and that he also had marijuana in his system that night. A toxicology report showed that Maxey had also been drinking. He had a blood-alcohol content of 0.09 percent. The legal limit in Virginia is 0.08 percent.
Brooks Ryan Leisure was convicted in February of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor driving under the influence in the wreck, which killed Jason William Maxey. He was sentenced this afternoon in Roanoke Circuit Court to serve 10 years in prison, with another 10 years suspended, on the first charge, and another 12 months in prison on the misdemeanor charge.
According to previous court testimony, the night of the wreck, Leisure first went to All Sports Cafe on Grandin Road, where he drank liquor and beer, before going to Awful Arthur's at Towers Shopping Center, where he continued to drink. He then left the bar to go to a friend's house.
Shortly before 2 a.m., witnesses saw the Isuzu Rodeo that Leisure was driving turn off Colonial Avenue and go the wrong way up an exit ramp that leads down from southbound U.S. 220. It collided with Maxey's Chevrolet Malibu in a curve between Elm Avenue and Franklin Road. Both vehicles were likely moving at more than 60 mph.
Toxicology tests showed that Leisure had a blood-alcohol content of about 0.19 percent at the time of the crash, and that he also had marijuana in his system that night. A toxicology report showed that Maxey had also been drinking. He had a blood-alcohol content of 0.09 percent. The legal limit in Virginia is 0.08 percent.
