ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 26, 1996 TAG: 9611260100
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FINCASTLE
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
ANDY WARD has pleaded guilty to reckless driving and driving on a suspended license - in his star player's car.
Lord Botetourt High School's football coach - already convicted of DUI twice this year - pleaded guilty Monday to reckless driving and driving on a suspended license after being caught driving 90 mph in a car owned by his star player.
Andy Ward, who was named coach of the year in the Blue Ridge District this year, will spend this weekend and 11 days of his December holiday break in jail. His sentence also included 18 months suspension of his driver's license and fines totaling $231.
Botetourt County Sheriff's Deputy M.A. Moran said Ward, 32, was pulled over Aug. 29. Moran, who was running radar in a 55 mph zone on U.S. 460 near the Food Lion store in the southern end of the county, said Ward entered the radar field doing 60 mph and left it doing 90.
When Moran checked the car's registration, he learned it was owned by Wesley Cox, a star running back for the Lord Botetourt High School football team, the deputy said. Cox gained 2,000 yards this year and led his team to its first playoff game in years.
Cox said Monday that he swapped cars with his coach that weekend. Evidently, he didn't tell his mom what he had done.
"Well, this is really great to know," an angry Judy Cox said Monday. "I can't believe he'd let anybody drive it a mile down the road."
She gave him the 1996 Pontiac Formula for his 18th birthday this year.
Cox said he was going to visit his girlfriend at the University of Virginia so he asked his coach if they could trade cars. Cox said he drove Ward's Thunderbird to Charlottesville. He didn't know what his coach was doing with his car.
"He's like a dad, man," said Cox, whose parents are divorced. "I'm a little disappointed."
Ward, reached Monday evening, admitted that he's made some mistakes.
"I'm willing to accept the punishment that comes with that, regardless of what happens, whether I lose my job or not."
He said his life was in turmoil then because of a separation with his wife, but that he's now back on the right track.
Cox said he also didn't know Ward had two prior convictions for driving under the influence and had a restricted license that let him drive only to and from work and to and from his Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program classes.
On Nov. 24, 1995, Ward was pulled over in Botetourt County and charged with DUI. His blood alcohol content tested at 0.18, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to Botetourt County Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom. Ward was convicted March 25. He was sentenced to the time he'd already served in jail, fined $375, ordered to attend VASAP classes and had his license suspended for a year.
Before he was brought to trial in Botetourt, Ward was arrested again and charged with DUI in Roanoke.
A Roanoke police officer pulled Ward over at 2 a.m. Feb. 16 on Williamson Road because he was driving erratically, according to Roanoke Circuit Court documents. His blood alcohol content tested at 0.12.
Ward pleaded not guilty and was convicted in general district court, but he appealed the decision, court records show. A motion to suppress the evidence against him was denied, and he entered a guilty plea Sept. 24. He was sentenced to attend VASAP classes, fined $350 and his license was suspended for a year.
Branscom said Ward's series of convictions will likely lead to the coach being declared a habitual offender. That would mean his license would be suspended for 10 years, and if he were caught driving in a dangerous manner again, he could serve a year in the penitentiary.
School Board members reached Monday said they knew nothing about his driving convictions.
"It nearly knocked me over," School Board member Barrie Bunn said when told about Ward's convictions.
Member Webster Booze said he was "really perturbed" that the board knew nothing of Ward's troubles.
"This whole thing catches me flat-footed," he said. "I'm mad as hell at this. Somebody should have picked up on it. These things can't be kept hidden so long."
Only the school board can fire teachers, but interim Superintendent Robert Reese has the authority to suspend them, said School Board Chairman Jim Ruhland.
Lord Botetourt Principal Jim Sledd said he has discussed the matter with Reese, but could not comment on it. Reese said he had not fully investigated the matter, and would not comment until he had.
Ward had been a successful girls' softball coach at Lord Botetourt for several years when he was named head football coach in 1993.
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: headshot of Ward colorby CNB