The Associated Press
ANDERSON, S.C. — A Pickens police officer has been fired after he was charged with driving under the influence after he wrecked his patrol car on New Year’s Eve.
Authorities say Irving “Rocky” Simmons left his home in his cruiser after a fight with his girlfriend and crashed into a tree a short distance away. He was alone in the car and not seriously injured.
Troopers say Simmons had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent. The legal level for driving is 0.08 percent.
Pickens Police Chief Tommy Ellenburg says Simmons has been fired. He had been on the force less than a year.
The Pickens police Web site shows Simmons was a patrol officer who worked DUI cases.