Felony charge for alleged sixth DWI

Posted 1/6/23

A man from southern Warren County is being charged with a class B felony for what authorities allege is his sixth offense of driving while intoxicated.

The charge stems from an April 2022 …

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Felony charge for alleged sixth DWI

Posted

A man from southern Warren County is being charged with a class B felony for what authorities allege is his sixth offense of driving while intoxicated.

The charge stems from an April 2022 investigation that was initiated after a crash that occurred on Mill Road near Highway N, according to a document from the Missouri Highway Patrol. Robert D. Herbel, 64, was identified as the driver in the crash, the highway patrol said.

The investigation revealed that Herbel had been operating his vehicle carelessly and failed to keep a lookout for a stopped vehicle ahead, the patrol stated.

The officer investigating the incident alleged that there was a strong odor of alcohol on Herbel’s breath, and that Herbel reportedly admitted to drinking before driving the vehicle. A breath sample reportedly showed that his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.

When asked how much alcohol he consumed, Herbel is quoted as replying, “Probably more than I should have. ... That’s why I was heading home. I knew it was too much.”

Prosecutors filed a felony charge against Herbel on Dec. 27.

The highway patrol stated that Herbel has five previous convictions for alcohol-related driving offenses in Warren County and Franklin County. The offenses date from 2017 all the way back to 1976, according to the patrol. Under Missouri state law, each prior DWI conviction elevates the severity of subsequent offenses, raising the current charge to a class B felony.

DWI

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