Police: Man Drove Drunk With Son In Car

A Rock Hill man is charged with driving drunk with his 10-year-old child in the car after an accident that he didn't cause.

Ronald Kevin Carter, 39, is charged with driving under the influence and child endangerment.

Police said in the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Carter was involved in an accident at the intersection of India Hook Road and Herlong Avenue. The accident was not Carter's fault, as police said another driver ignored a red light and sideswiped his car.

However, when police arrived, they said they smelled alcohol coming from Carter and noticed he had trouble standing up.

Carter denied having anything to drink, but police said he then registered a .32 blood-alcohol content on a breath test. That's four times the legal limit, which is .08.

Carter's 10-year-old-son was in the car with him. He was taken home by another relative.

Rock Hill police Lt. Brad Redfearn said there is always an additional charge of child endangerment when someone is suspected of driving drunk with a child in the car.

"Not only do they decide to put themselves in harm’s way, but they decide to put a child in harm’s way, and that's never a good thing," Redfearn said.

The charge of child endangerment is a high-court felony that's more serious than a first-time DUI charge. It carries up to five years in prison, while a first-time DUI charge is a traffic violation which results in a fine and a six-month driver's license suspension.