Delegate Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery County, was pulled over Sunday, January 26 by Christiansburg Police on suspicion of DUI. A preliminary field breath test showed that Hurst's blood alcohol level measured .085 which is above the .08 legal limit. However, police let the legislator go, allowing Hurst's passenger, whose blood alcohol level was below the limit, to drive to a nearby shopping center to pass time until driving home.
Christiansburg police say that a preliminary field breath test is not admissible in court and they believed that by the time they would have brought Hurst to the magistrate's office for an official breathalyzer test, his blood alcohol level would have dropped below the .08 limit.
Hurst has issued an apology, saying, "I am very sorry this happened and take full responsibility for exercising such poor judgment." Read Hurst's complete statement below.
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