Portland man pleads guilty to DWI charge stemming from fatal crash

PORTLAND, Ind. — A Portland man admitted to driving drunk at the time of a crash that killed his passenger.

Michael Leslie Brown, 29, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to causing death while driving while intoxicated, a Level 4 felony carrying up to 12 years in prison.

Under the terms of a plea agreement negotiated with the Jay County prosecutor's office, Brown could receive a sentence of up to eight years in prison.

Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison took the deal under advisement and tentatively set sentencing for April 3.

The plea bargain also calls for dismissal of two other charges against Brown, leaving the scene of an accident and driving while suspended.

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According to court documents, Brown last June 6 was driving on Jay County Road 700 South near State Line Road when his vehicle left the road and struck a tree.

His passenger, 18-year-old Devon Ross Drumm of rural Bryant, was fatally injured.

Brown fled from the scene on foot, according to an affidavit. He later reportedly told a Jay County sheriff's deputy he "panicked" when he ran from the crash scene.

A blood test measured Brown's blood-alcohol content at 0.088%. In Indiana, motorists with a BAC of 0.08 or higher are considered intoxicated.

According to court records, Brown has been convicted of driving while suspended and theft (twice each) and resisting law enforcement.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Portland man strikes deal, plead guilty in fatal DWI crash