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John Daley ReportingHe was perhaps Utah's leading figure when it came to fighting drunk driving. Now he's out of a job after getting busted himself. The commander of the UHP's DUI team resigned this afternoon. He's charged with driving drunk.
UHP held a press conference this afternoon to announce that Fred Swain has resigned after being charged with drunk driving. Swain was arrested June 23 after Draper police responded to a crash on Bangerter Highway at about 2:30 a.m. near 400 West.
He crashed into a concrete barrier in his unmarked police cruiser. His alcohol level was reported to be .116. The legal limit is .08. Today he turned in his resignation.
Col. Scott Duncan, Press Conference: "We understand that people in this state, in this country should be shocked over something like this because we certainly were. They should be angry. This is a violation of public trust. They should feel betrayed. And I don't know if they'll feel embarrassed, but we certainly are."
Colonel Scott Duncan of UHP said stress from the job could be a factor in Swain's drinking. He says Lt. Swain had a number of responsibilities at UHP, besides heading up the anti-Drunk Driving campaign.
Lt. Swain apparently admitted his boss that he has had a drinking problem for a couple years and realizes he needs to get it taken care of.
Col. Duncan says Swain won't be returning at any point in the future.
UHP also reminds the public that they will be enforcing drunk driving laws over the holiday weekend. This case is a stark reminder of the problem of driving while drunk
