Man sentenced to 50 years in prison after 6th DWI offense

HOUSTON – Ronnie Paul Hobgood, 45, is facing 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated for a third or more time, which is a third-degree felony.

On Feb. 7, Hobgood was leaving a bar when the bartender noticed he was highly intoxicated.

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When the bartender tried to stop him from driving, Hobgood started his truck, put it in reverse, and crashed into a parked car, according to police.

Concerned citizens tried to block Hobgood in the parking lot, but he drove over a curb and onto the feeder road, where he hit another vehicle before speeding off.

A wrecker spotted Hobgood and alerted police.

After being pulled over by police, Hobgood was unsteady on his feet, smelled strongly of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests, according to police.

His blood alcohol concentration was .272, over three times the legal limit, according to a blood sample obtained.

Hobgood has a long history of DWI-related offenses, dating back to 1990. He has been in prison twice due to the offenses.

Due to his history, the minimum punishment for this offense was 25 years in prison.