ST. THOMAS- A Florida native has had his driving privileges suspended in St. Thomas after he was arrested for driving under the influence.
Samuel Coskey, age 48 was arrested on Thursday following an auto collision on Donoe Road. The responding officer observed that Coskey was speaking very loudly and that his speech was slurred. The officer also took note of the smell of alcohol on his person.
When asked if he had consumed any alcohol before driving, Coskey reportedly told police that he had attended a wine tasting event. According to court documents, he later registered a blood alcohol content of .191, well above the legal limit of 0.08.
The probable cause fact sheet indicates that Coskey was traveling southward on Donoe Road and overtook the driver in front of him by entering the northbound lane. He then attempted to avoid another vehicle traveling northward by entering back into the southbound lane. While doing so, the left side of his vehicle collided with the front right portion of the vehicle he initially overtook. Police say Coskey lost control of his vehicle and it continued traveling towards an embankment, eventually colliding with the embankment before coming to a stop in the roadway, blocking both lanes.
Coskey appeared for an advisement hearing on Friday and was informed that the court found probable cause for all four charges against him: driving under the influence, operating a vehicle with an illegal blood alcohol content, negligent driving and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license. Assistant V.I. Attorney General Brenda Scales also revealed that the defendant has multiple prior arrests including two previous DUI convictions.
At the conclusion of the hearing, judge Paula Norkaitis ruled that Coskey could continue his release on the $1000 bail he had previously posted. The accused, who has worked and resided in St. Thomas since January 2022, is now prohibited from leaving the territory without prior written permission from the court. His driving privileges have been suspended for a mandatory 90 days and he has been instructed to refrain from consuming alcohol while the criminal proceedings against him remain pending. He has further been ordered to surrender his Florida driver's license to the court by the close of business on Friday. Judge Norkaitis emphasized that Coskey is considered a menace to driving and that if he violates any of the court’s conditions he would be remanded into custody to await trial.
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