From Chelsea Phua:
Former El Dorado County Supervisor Helen Baumann has pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge that stemmed from a June incident when she allegedly crashed through a barbed-wire and down an embankment, authorities said.
Baumann (left photo) pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to driving under the influence, with an enhancement for exceeding 0.20 blood alcohol content level, said deputy district attorney Lisette Suder. The legal limit is 0.08.
Baumann was sentenced to four years of informal probation and four days in jail, a court clerk said. Baumann can opt to complete a work program instead of serving jail time.
She is also required to comply with all "standard terms and conditions" for first-time DUI offenders, which includes attending a class, the clerk said. Baumann also has to pay a $2,376 fine.
On the night of June 6, Baumann, who was then a supervisor, allegedly lost control of her car on Latrobe Road, crashed into a barbed-wire fence and down an embankment. California Highway Patrol officers said she then drove up the embankment, crossed the road and hit another embankment.
A responding officer said Baumann smelled of alcohol and was slurring her speech.
Baumann later issued a statement apologizing for "the strain and disruption the situation has caused our law enforcement and emergency services."
Baumann left office beginning of this month, after reaching her term limit of eight years on the board.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.