A Jonesburg man is facing criminal charges after his vehicle caught on fire while he was allegedly driving drunk.
Patrick McChristy was charged Friday, Sept. 4, with persistent driving while intoxicated, a felony, and misdemeanor driving while revoked.
Shortly before midnight Sept. 3, Warren County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on Key Road near Jonesburg.
“Investigation determined the driver had backed the vehicle into a ditch, where it became high-centered and subsequently caught fire,” according to a social media post from the sheriff’s department.
A witness told deputies that “she found Patrick walking on the road and their vehicle on fire,” according to a probable cause statement.
The vehicle was determined to be registered to McChristy, who told deputies he had been driving home from Warrenton. Although McChristy refused to perform standardized field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test, deputies found a half-empty 50 ml bottle of vodka in his front right pants pocket, according to the statement.
A records check revealed that McChristy’s Missouri driver’s license was revoked and he had five previous DWI convictions.
McChristy, born in 1974, was initially being held without bond at the Warren County Jail, although his bond has since been reduced to $50,000 cash only. His next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. in Warren County Circuit Court.
