What are the chances of these house guest coming back over for dinner? :jawdrop:
Article Launched:11/21/2006 12:00:00 AM PST
The assistant chief of the California Highway Patrol's Inland Division in San Bernardino is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, officials said Monday.
Michael Maples, 58, was arrested by his own CHP officers at his home in Reche Canyon about 11:15 p.m. Thursday after failing a field sobriety test, said Capt. Sharon Baker, commander of the CHP's Riverside field office.
Maples was off duty and returning home when he pulled into his driveway, lost control of his department-issued 2005 Ford Crown Victoria and crashed it into a car parked in his driveway, Baker said.
The car Maples crashed into belonged to someone who was visiting at his home, and that unnamed person was the one who called police to report the crash, Baker said.
Maples, who could not be reached for comment Monday, was cited and released from custody following his arrest. The case will be submitted to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office for review, Baker said.
No injuries were reported, she said.
Maples has been assistant chief of the CHP's Inland Division in San Bernardino for the past five years. The Inland Division covers the largest area of the CHP's eight divisions statewide,
spanning 50,000 square miles in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, and a slice of Kern County.CHP Sgt. Eric Phipps would not disclose Maples' employment status, citing the Peace Officer's Bill of Rights and that the matter was a confidential personnel matter.
By law, vehicle collisions that occur on private property are handled civilly between private parties, and law enforcement is precluded from getting involved. If, however, they involve reckless driving or someone possibly driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it becomes a matter for police, Phipps said.
Contact writer Joe Nelson at (909) 386-3887 or via e-mail at joe.nelson@sbsun.com.