A state senator is facing a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol after his truck went into a ditch near Starkville.
According to Mississippi Highway Patrol Sgt. Derrick Beckom, state troopers responded to the one-vehicle crash on Highway 82 near Highway 182 west of Starkville at about 9:12 p.m. Wednesday. Officers found District 31 Sen. Terry Burton’s white Chevrolet Silverado in a ditch on the north side of the road.
Burton, 62, was booked into the Oktibbeha County Jail for a DUI second offense and failure to maintain proper lane. Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brett Watson confirmed Burton is out on $992 bond. Beckom said Burton was not injured in the wreck.
The DUI arrest is the third against Burton. He was found not guilty of a DUI after a 2016 wreck in Scott County. In that case, Burton’s vehicle went off the road and hit a traffic sign on Interstate 20. He was found to have used cough syrup and breath spray, which a judge ruled created a “false positive” on a breath test after the wreck, according to a Clarion-Ledger report at the time.
In 2014, Burton pleaded guilty to a DUI charge in Brandon after taking Mobic, a non-narcotic pain medication, and having drinks with his dinner.
If convicted Burton could face a minimum of five days in jail and community service, according to Mississippi law.
Burton is the Senate president pro tempore, and serves as the second-ranking member of the legislative body after Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. He’s served in the Senate since 1992 and is the current chair of the Senate Rules Committee.
District 31 includes Lauderdale, Newton and Scott counties.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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