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Man charged in fatal DUI crash in Lexington has prior offenses

Man charged in fatal DUI crash in Lexington has prior offenses
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Linda Johnson was many things to her family: a loving mother to adult children Drew and Carrie, a doting grandmother, and a faithful UK fan. She was married more than fifty years to her late husband, Jon, who passed away in January.

Then came Sunday, Aug. 3 around 5:30 p.m. Her son, Drew Johnson, said he received a notification on a tracking app he shared with his mother that she had an accident. The information was true.

Johnson said as his 75-year-old mother was driving down Man o' War Boulevard near Belleau Wood and Clearwater Way, when she was hit from behind by a car that knocked her vehicle off the road. Johnson said he could hear first responders over the phone trying to help his mother. She was then taken to UK hospital where she later died.

Lexington police charged the other driver, Stephen Barber, with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The crash remains under investigation.

LEX 18 checked Kentucky court records that indicate Barber has been charged with DUIs in the past.

According to electronic court records, Barber pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol in Jessamine County in 2015. He received four days in jail.

Then in November of 2022, he was arrested in Garrard County and charged with another DUI that records show was dismissed. But Barber pleaded guilty to speeding 20 miles per hour over the limit and paid a $143 fine.

Now, he's accused of driving under the influence again. It's technically Barber's third DUI charge in 10 years but not according to the courts. For Linda Johnson's family, the consequences are final.