Alcohol Detected In Injury Accident

Tuesday, November 20th 2007, 8:36 am

By: News On 6

JAY, Okla. (AP) _ Authorities suspect alcohol and unsafe speed may have played a role in a car accident that seriously injured a sheriff's office detective assigned to a Delaware County drug task force.

Sheriff's Detective Lance Fields of Grove remains in intensive care at a Missouri hospital, where he was taken by helicopter after the crash early Saturday morning.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says Fields was driving a county-owned 1995 Chevrolet Camaro when the car struck a road sign, went off the road and rolled two times, ejecting him 42 feet from the vehicle.

According to an OHP report, an odor of alcohol was detected on Fields, and the cause of the accident was listed as unsafe speed.

A news release issued by Delaware County Sheriff's Capt. Larry Barnett says Fields was scheduled to be off at the time of the crash, but whether he was actually on duty was unclear.

Sheriff Jay Blackfox says Fields is unable to speak with investigators.