AVON — Newly obtained records show a dump truck driver accused of causing a crash that left an elderly Danville couple dead has at least 25 traffic violations on his driving record including operating while intoxicated, speeding, seat belt violations and disregarding traffic signals.
Following the September 3 crash that killed Gerald and Rhonda Legan, Call 6 Investigates requested and obtained the driving record of Danny Williams, of Knightstown.
Records show Williams had a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and Indiana driver’s license at the time of the September 3 crash in Avon.
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Following his 2014 arrest in Hancock County for operating while intoxicated in his personal vehicle, the state suspended Williams’ driver’s license from July 2014 to December 2014, records show.
His Indiana driver’s license was also suspended in 1993 for six months following a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, records show.
Following his March 2015 conviction for OWI, the state disqualified Williams’ commercial driving privileges from April 11, 2015 to April 10, 2016.
His CDL is now valid, expiring on September 9, 2021.
Call 6 Investigates counted 25 separate convictions related to his driving dating back to 1978 including seat belt violations, driving left side of road, disregarding traffic signal, improper use of center lane, and multiple speeding violations.
Most of the citations happened when Williams was not driving a commercial vehicle records show.
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles declined to speak with RTV6 on the phone about Williams’ driving record, however the agency emailed answers to questions from Call 6 Investigates.
“All citations stay but do not always affect the driving record,” said Christine Meyer, spokesperson for BMV. “As an example, points related to speeding only affect the record for two years.”
Indiana follows federal regulations when it comes to whether a driver can be disqualified.
Click here to read the rules that show when a driver can be disqualified from operating a commercial vehicle, which vary depending on the offense and whether the driver was in a commercial motor vehicle at the time.
Williams is charged with several counts of OWI causing death and reckless homicide in the September 3 crash.
Williams admitted to snorting heroin before the collision.
If convicted, he could lose his Commercial Driver’s License for life.
“Based on the federal guidelines that the Indiana BMV follows, an individual with two major offenses is disqualified for life,” said Meyer.
Williams worked for North American Environmental LLC in Zionsville.
The company does not have a history of any serious violations in the last two years, records show.
RTV6 has been unable to reach the company for comment.
In June 2014, Greenfield Police arrested Williams on I-70 after he crashed into an INDOT construction sign while driving his Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Officers observed an empty bottle of Crown Royal on the floorboard and the vehicle smelled of alcohol, court records said.
A witness said he saw Williams’ car swerving, hit a sign, hit a barrier wall and run through a ditch.
Williams told officers he was on his way to Knightstown and admitted to drinking the bottle that was on the floor.
He submitted to a blood test, which showed Williams at .201 BAC.
When your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or higher, you're considered legally impaired.
Court records also show his blood tested positive for opiates in the 2014 case.
Williams pleaded guilty in 2015 in Hancock County to operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person.
He received a one-year suspended sentence as well as probation, and had to pay restitution to the Indiana Department of Transportation for damage to a traffic signal.
As part of his 2015 sentence, Williams had to attend a victim impact panel in which victims of impaired driving typically talk to drivers who’ve been charged with operating under the influence.
Williams also had to pay $768 in criminal court costs and fees as well as fees for the alcohol and drug services program, court records show.
In December 2015, a Hancock County court found Williams violated the terms of his probation.
Deputies arrested Williams for probation violations in December 2015 and again in January 2016, records show.
In a separate Hancock County case, Williams pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in March 2015.
He received a one-year sentence, but half of it was suspended with the remainder served on home detention.
The probation violations applied to the cocaine possession case as well, records show, and on January 21, 2016, a judge sentenced Williams to 90 days in the county jail.
However, records show the court had no objection to Williams sentence being served on Community Corrections work release.
He has not served time in the state prison system, according to the Indiana Department of Correction website.
