SC lawmaker arrested, charged with 2nd DUI

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina state lawmaker has been arrested on a drunken driving charge for the second time in a year.

Public safety officials said an officer saw Rep. Ted Vick staggering across the grounds of the state House in Columbia late Tuesday night.

The officer said Vick was having trouble keeping his balance, and at one point braced himself on a concrete wall near the Capitol parking garage.

According to the incident report obtained by Channel 9, the officer said Vick drove over a traffic cone trying to leave the garage, and that's when he was stopped and arrested.

The incident report said Vick twice refused Breathalyzer and field sobriety tests.

This is the second DUI arrest for the Democratic lawmaker, who serves Chesterfield County and a small area of Lancaster County.

Last May, Vick was stopped for speeding in Columbia. At that time, he was found with a handgun with an expired concealed-carry permit. A 21-year-old female college student was in the car with Vick. He said he was giving her a ride home from a bar.

Columbia police said the car smelled of alcohol, and Vick was arrested for DUI. That case is still pending in court.

Vick had no comment as he left jail Wednesday morning.

"I hate it for him. I hate it for his family," said state Rep. Ralph Norman. "I know Ted well; nice guy."

Norman, a York County Republican, said Vick was at a dinner event Tuesday night at the Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse on Main Street. Norman could not attend, but said the event is for certain committee members and is held every year.
"It's walking distance from the state house," he said.

Police said Vick did walk from the restaurant toward his car at the Capitol, and that's when an officer with the Bureau of Protective Services noticed he was staggering. According to the incident report, Vick told police he'd had two glasses of wine with dinner.

Norman said Vick could likely be back in his seat in the House chamber as soon as Thursday. However, he called his arrest a sad event, and said elected leaders should be held accountable.

"Ted's going to have to answer to his voters. He's going to have to answer to himself," Norman said. "As an elected official, you're in the public eye. You're expected to be held to a higher standard. And we are, and we should be."

When asked about the voters' reaction to Vick's second DUI arrest, Norman said South Carolina is often a forgiving state. He pointed to former Gov. Mark Sanford as a prime example.

Vick was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond after paying $997.

WSOC