Getting stopped for DUI seems to be all the rage at the Pinal County Assessor's Office these days -- just seven months after County Assessor Paul Larkin got pinched for driving tipsy, Assistant County Assessor Jacqueline Minto was nabbed for extreme DUI.
Last night, Minto was involved in a serious injury collision in San Tan Valley -- and she was apparently wasted.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, Minto failed to stop at a red light about 7 p.m. yesterday. She slammed into the back of one car, which then slammed into the car in front of it.
The driver of the vehicle that was initially struck suffered head, neck,
leg, and arm injuries and had to be taken to Banner Ironwood Hospital.
Minto, the PCSO says, showed "obvious signs of alcohol impairment." She
claims, however, to have had only one glass of wine at a bar just prior to crashing
into the back of another vehicle.
The breathalyzer, however, told a different story: Minto's blood alcohol content was .183 -- more than twice the legal limit.
Minto was booked into the Pinal County jail on one count each of extreme DUI and aggravated assault.
In February, Larkin, Minto's boss, was stopped for DUI as well. More on his arrest here.
Larkin's next court date is scheduled for November 16.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu chimes in:
"During the past two weeks, Pinal County has seen two fatal collisions
involving impaired drivers. We have warned the public after each
collision about the dangers of driving while impaired," Babeu says.
"Evidently, Jacqueline Minto didn't heed this warning and chose to get
behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol. Now, in
addition to the criminal charges, both she and Paul Larkin will have
their Arizona driving privileges suspended. It makes you wonder who is
going to assess our property values in Pinal County now."
