David A. Butcher, 59, who has been the Pickerington North girls basketball head coach for many years now, has been charged with drunk driving and failure to control after coach was in a minor crash in Violet Township this past Friday night. Authorities reported Butcher was driving a Ford Escape left-of-center while crossing Milnor Road, and that Butcher’s driver’s-side mirror hit the other vehicle’s driver’s-side mirror. This may seem pretty minor, except for the fact that the Pickerington North girls basketball head coach didn’t stop; he kept driving. The other driver, whom Butcher swiped, followed the Ford Escape after he was hit at 8:35 pm, all while calling 911 to report the accident.

Pickerington North Girls Basketball Coach Drunk Driving

Coach Butcher failed the field-sobriety tests that the authorities had given administered to him, and and after all of that, the Pickerington North coach refused to take a breathalyzer test. Butcher’s license was suspended automatically and immediately due to him refusing to take the breath test. In the Fairfield County Municipal Court, Pickerington North coach Butcher pleaded guilty to the drunk driving. Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a first-degree misdemeanor, and has the potential punishment of up to 6 months in jail. Judge David A. Trimmer accepted David A. Butcher’s plea of being guilty to his drunken driving charges, and said that he will be scheduling the coach’s sentencing later. Judge Trimmer set bond at recognizance, and surprisingly restored coach Butcher’s driving privileges, but it is very limited being that he will only be able to drive to and from work.

Pickerington North Girls Basketball Coach David Butcher is the winningest girls basketball coach in state history, and was suspended for four games back in October 2002 for being accused of misconduct that allegedly included being drunk in front of his players and for using inappropriate physical contact. After the city school district investigated this allegations, they didn’t establish any misconduct towards any inappropriate physical contact, but they did against the improper alcohol consumption by Butcher.

The Dangers Of Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is extremely dangerous and selfish; think before you get behind the wheel. Statistics show that every day in America, another 28 people die as a direct result of drunk driving crashes. Car crashes, other than drug overdoses, are the leading cause of fatalities amongst teens in America,and about 1/4 of those involve underage drinking and driving. Oddly enough, every two minutes, another person in the US is injured in a drunk driving accident. Much like Pickerington North girls coach Butcher, an average drunk driver will drive drunk about 80 times before their first drunk driving arrest. Not only was it not safe for coach Butcher to get behind the wheel while drunk, but it is not setting a good example for the students at Pickerington North. Coach Butcher is not only a girls basketball coach, but is supposed to be a role model for those who look up to him. Drinking and driving can and has killed many people, so for all of you reading this, think twice before you drive.