OWEN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) – A former Franklin County Sheriff’s employee is now facing a manslaughter charge following a fatal ATV crash.
Mario Chavez now faces second degree manslaughter in the alleged DUI crash that killed a 73-year-old woman exactly a week ago today.
Ex-Franklin Co Sheriff's employee put on house arrest at his arraignment on DUI & now 2nd degree manslaughter charges.
Mario Chavez accused of driving under the influence in ATV crash that killed Patricia Karsner. On air update @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/3QbLS6Dlau— Leigh Searcy (@LSearcLex) June 28, 2019
Police say Chavez was driving under the influence when he wrecked an ATV and injured his passenger, Patricia Karsner, who later died at a hospital.
Investigators say he admitted to drinking beer after police noted that Chavez smelled like an alcoholic beverage.
Today the judge put the former Franklin county sheriff’s employee on house arrest and ordered random alcohol and drug tests.
It’s Chavez’s third DUI arrest since 1998. He wouldn’t make comment to LEX 18, but his attorney did offer condolences to the Karsner family.
LEX 18 has also learned that there is a civil case against Chavez from when he worked court security of the Owen County Sheriff’s Office.
Local attorney Gerald Kemper said that he entered the Owen County Courthouse in October 2017 and he claims Chavez made him take off his new prosthetic leg in order to go through the metal detector. Kemper said he did so and had to sit in a chair. Kemper said that while sitting, he fell out of the chair and injured his shoulder, then he had to crawl out of the courthouse because he couldn’t reattach the prosthetic leg due to swelling.
Kemper is suing Chavez, the sheriff’s office, and Owen County Public Works for damages and for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
