Drugged Driver Convicted after Wreck on I-40
DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the DUI Unit obtained convictions against a man who wrecked on I-40 while driving under the influence of methamphetamine. Clint Steven Foster, 42, was convicted of Driving Under the Influence, Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon, Simple Possession, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Senior Judge Kelly Thomas set the case for sentencing on August 29 where Foster faces a sentence of one to two years.
In a two-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys Mitch Eisenberg and Teddy Ryan explained to the jury that on August 18, 2022, Knoxville Police Department Officer Dexter Rogers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 at Alcoa Highway. On scene, Ofc. Rogers saw Foster slumped over in the driver’s seat. Through slurred speech, Foster said he did not know what happened. When Ofc. Rogers asked Foster to step out of his vehicle, Foster crawled to the passenger side, stuck his head out the window, and said he would get out after the car behind him passed. Ofc. Rogers informed Foster that the vehicle behind him was his parked police car. Foster then crawled onto the ground and needed to hold onto the vehicle to be able to stand. When Foster was asked to perform field sobriety tests, he became argumentative. Officers ultimately found a small bag of methamphetamine and three needles in Foster’s vehicle. Foster also had an outstanding warrant from a separate methamphetamine trafficking and firearm case. In later court proceedings, Foster claimed he was having a diabetic episode and then changed his claim to state he had a concussion.
“Luckily, no one was injured in the accident, but this is another example of the dangers of impaired driving,” said DA Allen.
Foster has a prior felony conviction for Possession with Intent to Sell Methamphetamine. The mandatory minimum for a DUI 1st Offense is forty-eight hours in jail, DUI School, a $350 fine, and a license revocation of one year. Simple Possession of Methamphetamine also carries a minimum thirty days in jail. At sentencing, prosecutors will seek additional jail time above the minimum to serve as a deterrent for future impaired driving. Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Brittany Wilhelmson 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.