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DUI arrests show 1 in 4 become repeat offenders

10 Investigates find 1/4 of those arrested for DUI will become repeat offenders
DUI arrest

Tampa, Florida -- Kevin Williams is a poster child for repeat DUI offenders. Last year he was arrested for DUI for the third time.

In the latest arrest, Williams was involved in two hit-and-run accidents within five minutes on West Shore in Tampa and was so drunk, he couldn't remember his last name.

Williams is just one of 113,076 three-time DUI offenders in the state of Florida. Of those, 11,681 have five arrests and are still driving.

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"It's personal to me," says Clearwater Attorney Tom Carey. He represents victims' families. Carey also knows what the families are going through, because 30 years ago his wife, Joni, was killed by a drunk driver who had five previous DUI's.

"And then when he killed her, that was his sixth DUI," Carey says.

Andrew Hall is living proof of the consequences of repeatedly driving drunk. He was waiting on a street corner for a ride and then next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital.

Hall says his grandfather asked him if he knew what had happened to him. "I said 'No, no I don't,'" Hall tells us as he takes a deep breath.

"The next two words I heard, 'You got hit by a drunk driver.'"

Hall says when he discovered the driver who hit him was a repeat offender, he didn't know what to think. However the accident changed Hall's life forever. His leg was ripped off and now he needs a wheel chair to get around.

The car that struck Hall was driven by Joshua West, who had a previous DUI arrest that was downgraded to reckless driving.

Pasco Senator Wilton Simpson thinks he has an alternative that could prevent a tragedy such as this: it is a bracelet that would be worn by anyone arrested for DUI that automatically notifies authorities when that person has any alcohol.

According to Simpson, "We don't want to use this technology to take away people's rights, but when you have a DUI, you have no rights."

Simpson wants to use the bracelet instead of a breathalyzer interlock device required for 3-time offenders and he wants it for anyone arrested for DUI.

Simpson says, "A judge could put this type of device on even [for] folks that are pleading down."

While there are measures in place to prevent repeat offenders, until laws are changed, innocent victims like Andrew Hall will continue to pay the price every day.

As Hall explains, "Joshua West's sentence--who is physically in prison--doesn't even touch the iceberg of what I go through now and what I will continue to go through. Joshua West got eight years; [but] I got a life sentence."

One of the biggest concerns in Florida: jail time is not mandated unless a drunk driver kills or seriously hurts someone -- as was the case with Andrew Hall -- or that driver is on his fourth DUI offense.

To learn more about this report, you can follow 10 Investigates' Mike Deeson on Twitter: @MikeDeeson

You can also follow 10 News on Twitter: @WTSP10News or Facebook: WTSP 10 News

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