Simon Kukhta was Convicted of DUI after Driving Off a Levee
(Woodland, CA) – January 23, 2020, – On January 21, 2020, the Honorable David Rosenberg sentenced 53-year-old Sacramento County man, Simon Kukhta, to 240 days local prison and, upon his release from custody, to 490 days on Mandatory Supervision for Driving Under the Influence with Three Prior Convictions. This conviction was a felony, because Kukhta had been convicted of DUI three times in last 10 years. Those prior convictions occurred in Sacramento County in 2010, 2014, and 2018.
A Yolo County jury found Kukhta guilty after a three-day trial on December 19, 2019. The jury heard evidence that on September 30, 2019, Kukhta was driving on a levee in unincorporated Yolo County after being up all night fishing. Kukhta was driving on a straight and level roadway when he drove off the levee and his car became stuck on the embankment.
Kukhta, who was still on probation for his most recent DUI conviction, told officers that he had not had any alcohol and refused a breath test, but a blood test showed that Kukhta had been over twice the legal limit when drove.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol and a deputy with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance on follow-up investigation by an investigator with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. Officers interviewed the witnesses who had found Kukhta on the side of the levee and executed search warrants for Kukhta’s phone and vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by one of Yolo County’s specialized Deputy District Attorneys who are working to stem impaired driving through prosecution, education, and community outreach. Under a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), these prosecutors provide training to law enforcement on identifying impaired drivers, educate members of the community about impaired driving, and do community outreach to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving. Yolo County’s OTS program is one of the most progressive programs in the state, with a strong focus on education and prevention. These prosecutors teach at educational events and take an active role in preventing driving under the influence by engaging the community through high school trials, college outreach, and other community events.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig commented, “My office will continue to not only be proactive in preventing DUI offenses, but will also continue to go after these high-risk offenders. These repeat DUI offenders gamble with the lives of Yolo County residents and my office will not stand for it.” Reisig continued, “Our grant prosecutors are not only educating our community about the dangers of driving under the influence to prevent these incidents, but they are also holding those who drive under the influence accountable.”
“Repeat DUI offenders pose the greatest risk because they lack the self-control to not drive impaired,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “We must continue to not only hold those who put others on the road at risk accountable, but also work on long-term behavior changes to prevent high-risk individuals from reoffending.”
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