AUGUSTA — A Florida man admitted in court Wednesday to driving drunk and hitting a pedestrian in Gardiner last summer, breaking both of the man’s legs.
Joseph N. Deer, 30, formerly of Augusta and now of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty to a felony charge of operating under the influence with serious injury involved.
He was sentenced to five years in prison with all but 18 months suspended and two years of probation. His license and registration privileges in Maine were suspended for six years. He was also fined $2,100.
Assistant District Attorney Brad Grant said the victim, Aaron Guay, was walking home along Water Street from Mike’s Grill about 12:30 a.m. on July 30, when he was struck from behind by Deer’s vehicle.
Guay was able to describe the vehicle that hit him and Gardiner police found it damaged farther down the road. The driver, identified later as Deer, told the officer that he didn’t want to drive any more, Grant said.
Grant told the judge that Deer’s blood-alcohol content tested at 0.23 percent, which is nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 for driving adults in Maine.
“I’m sorry for my actions,” Deer told the judge on Wednesday. “Since this incident, I have sought help for depression and alcoholism that led to this incident.”
Guay suffered broken legs, and has had an extended recovery, putting at least one of his jobs — he serves in the military — at risk because of the effects of his injuries, Grant said.
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