The Kansas State Senate Majority Leader faces driving under the guise of influence and a felony charge for attempting to flee police after several people informed him he was driving on the wrong side of ‘a road.
Gene Suellentrop (R) would drive an SUV on the wrong side of a road in Topeka, Canada, on March 16th.
On Friday, the lawmaker was charged with a DUI, reckless driving, a felony for evading police, speeding and driving on the wrong side of a road. ABC News reported.
The felony charge is punishable by a one-year probation period or a few months in prison, a DUI is 100 hours of service or two days in jail, and a reckless driving charge is a $ 500 fine and a prison sentence of five to 90 days.
Suellentrop is currently in jail on $ 5,000 bail.
“They hit me, but I’m fine. I am OK. They’re not near me, but they’re going the wrong way, ”said one person who called 911 to report the incident.“ I mean, they weren’t driving recklessly (I’m not trying to say they were driving recklessly), but they were in the wrong lane, and they met me going up the ramp and scared the crap out of me. “
Shawnee County Republican District Attorney Mike Kagay said police officers placed “stop bars” on the road to deflate the vehicle’s tires, and an officer said Suellentrop nearly hit them.
Suellentrop was arrested the night of the incident, but the judge found that there was not enough in the arrest report to keep him in jail, according to ABC News.
“We are grateful that no one has been injured,” Republican Senate President Ty Masterson and Vice President Rick Wilborn said. “We keep praying for Gene and his family.”
The Hill has contacted the Suellentrop office for comment.