By Ashley Meeks and Harold Oakes
The Las Cruces Sun-News
RUIDOSO, N.M. — A Dona Ana County fire chief charged with aggravated drunken driving allegedly had a nearly empty bottle of whiskey in the government truck he was driving last week, according to authorities.
Garfield Volunteer Fire Department chief Henry E. Duran, 52, pleaded not guilty to the drunken driving charge, as well as charges of failing to maintain his lane and having an open container in the vehicle, in Ruidoso Magistrate Court on Monday.
Duran was not immediately available for comment when called at the fire department and his home Tuesday.
Garfield, a tiny town about 10 miles north of Hatch, has an unpaid volunteer force of about 20, who use a small fleet of county vehicles to serve the area north of Hatch to Sierra County and west of Hatch to Luna County. The white Ford Super Duty truck, with a New Mexico government license plate, was spotted speeding on Sudderth Drive, a main street in Ruidoso that merges with U.S. 70, at 1:55 a.m. April 27, according to Ruidoso Police Cpl. Lawrence Chavez’s criminal complaint. After turning onto the highway, Duran allegedly nearly struck the curb, then crossed the center line and white side line of U.S. 70 before nearly colliding with a concrete barrier at the intersection of Mescalero Trail and U.S. 70.
An “overwhelming odor of alcohol” was reported when Chavez stopped Duran in front of the Holiday Inn Express, according to the criminal complaint. Inside the vehicle, Chavez reported finding a nearly empty bottle of Lord Calvert Canadian Whiskey in the passenger seat.
Duran reportedly admitted to drinking and said he was coming from “the bar,” and his blood-alcohol level was subsequently revealed to be .19 and .18, more than twice the legal limit of .08. Duran’s vehicle was returned to him the following day and he was release on a $1,400 cash bond.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for May 18.
Do-a Ana County spokesman Jess Williams confirmed Duran’s arrest, but declined to comment further because it involved “a personnel issue.”
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