Motorist Convicted of Drunk Driving on Cumberland Avenue

DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the DUI Unit obtained a conviction against a man who was drunk driving on Cumberland Avenue.  Patrick Jordan Pippin, 24, was convicted of Driving Under the Influence.  Judge Hector Sanchez set the case for sentencing on June 26.

In a one-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys Caleb Smothers and Joe Welker explained to the jury that on August 24, 2023, at 2:50 AM, University of Tennessee Police Department Ofc. O’Brien was on patrol on Cumberland Avenue when he pulled over a vehicle driven by Pippin for improper registration.  When pulling his vehicle over, Pippin collided with the curb twice.  At the driver’s door, Ofc. O’Brien could smell alcohol and marijuana coming from the vehicle.  Pippin failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody.  He refused to provide a sample to determine his blood alcohol content.  Pippin asked if his passenger could take his car home instead of it being towed.  When Ofc. O’Brien asked if the passenger was intoxicated, Pippin stated, “Nowhere near I am.”  During the transport to the jail, Pippin passed out and vomited on himself.

“Refusing a blood test does not prevent impaired drivers from being held accountable for their actions,” said DA Allen.

Driving Under the Influence is a Class A Misdemeanor that carries a maximum punishment up to eleven months and twenty-nine days in jail.  The mandatory minimum for a DUI First Offense is forty-eight hours in custody with a $350 fine, DUI School, and a license revocation of one year.  At sentencing, prosecutors will seek an enhanced sentence because Pippin has a previous conviction for Underage Driving while Intoxicated out of Sevier County, and he had multiple violations while on bond in this case.  Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator and Legal Secretary Lauren Ward aided in the prosecution of this case.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.