WINFIELD, W.Va. — A Putnam County man is facing a lot of trouble after he received two DUI’s in a matter of hours. Between those times, Putnam County deputies charged Randy Lee Bailes, 35, of Poca with DUI causing injury, leaving the scene of an accident, and other charges.
Bailes vehicle was identified as the one which struck a 17 year old walking along Route 62 between Poca and Rock Branch Monday evening. His pickup truck also had damage which corresponded to the accident. Authorities later learned Bailes was already free on $600 bond after being charged earlier in the day with DUI in Nitro. He was stopped there after a Pursuit by St. Albans Police.
“In West Virginia you have a right to bond,” said Putnam County Prosecutor Mark Sorsaia. “There isn’t any provision in the law that says we can’t bond you out until you’re sober.”
Sorsaia said it’s not the first time he’s dealt with such a situation. He said it’s rare, but it does happen and when it does it shocks the public’s conscious.
“It’s an aggravating factor quite frankly that can be considered by a judge in sentencing assuming we’d get a conviction on what happened here in Putnam County,” he said. “As a prosecutor I can assure you it will be a factor in our analysis of how to deal with it.”
Sorsaia also noted the person who posted Bailes’ bond faced no criminal responsibility for the incident and whether they faced any civil responsibility would be a judgment for the court, but probably it would be a stretch.
Bailes is free again on $10,000 bond set by a Putnam County Magistrate for the second incident.