Photos posted on Facebook of a South Carolina man awaiting trial on charges related to a fatal drunken driving crash led to stiffer bond conditions — including an order not to drink.
After his November 2008 death in a crash, the parents of 20-year-old Travis James Pettus scoured Facebook for pictures of the accused driver, Jason Isbell. David and Evelyn Pettus, said they were "heartbroken" by what they found — pictures of Isbell out of state on spring break with alcohol.
Pettus' parents said when they saw photos of the man who police say had a blood-alcohol level of 0.176 — more than double the legal limit — after the crash that killed their son, they feared Isbell, would drive drunk again.
"He's become a danger to the community again because he's going out drinking and doing the same behaviors that led to the crash," 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Willy Thompson said in a York County court hearing Thursday.
Isbell, 21, faces charges of felony driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless homicide in connection with the deadly crash after a Halloween party on Nov. 1, 2008. Isbell, who could face 40 years in prison, was charged last year after being hospitalized with crash-related injuries.
Isbell had been released on a $100,000 personal recognizance bond while waiting for a trial scheduled for this summer. Thompson said Isbell's injuries played a part in the original bond.
At a hearing Thursday morning, Judge John Hayes modified Isbell's bond to $100,000 cash/surety that includes house arrest with electronic GPS monitoring, and an order not to drink or leave the state.
Read more of this story at HeraldOnline.com
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