A 46-year-old Indian Hills man was sentenced Tuesday to six years in Nevada State Prison for felony drunk driving after Judge David Gamble rejected a request for an alcohol diversion program.
James Shepard must serve a minimum of 14 months before he is eligible for parole.
Shepard was arrested in February after he crashed his vehicle into several cars on Plymouth Drive having led officers on a 9:30 p.m. highspeed chase from Stockyard Road north on Highway 395 to Indian Hills.
Shepard was injured in the accident and had to be extricated from his vehicle by the Jaws of Life before he was taken to Renown Regional Medical Center.
At the Reno hospital, he was so combative he had to be put in restraints so samples of his blood could taken for alcohol analysis, according to reports.
His blood-alcohol content tested at .19, .20 and .22, nearly three times the legal limit of .08 for driving in Nevada.
Shepard said he remembered nothing that happened.
"This is high-end violence kind of stuff," Gamble said. "It was potentially deadly with a very, very dangerous set of events. Someplace I have to decide that some people are entitled to the diversion program, and some are not."
Lawyer Derrick Lopez said his client had been scared into sobriety by the incident.
"He's determined he is going to stay sober no matter what the court does," Lopez said. "He's finished. He feels so much better since he's been sober; he's lost weight, he's sleeping better."
Shepard has been in Douglas County Jail for 68 days.
He has prior convictions in Carson City in October 2007 and November 2003.
"I know I do have a big drinking problem," Shepard said. "I almost killed myself. I almost hurt a lot of people. I know it's time to grow up and time to take care of business."
He was also ordered to pay $3,142.47 restitution.
According to reports, Shepard was pulled over, but as deputies approached, he took off again at speeds in excess of 90 mph before he crashed.
Gamble said he believed Shepard was sincere in his desire to stay sober.
"I don't want to step on what you've decided. It's a lifetime decision that has to be honored every day. I honor you for what you've said. I don't say this too often, but I truly believe you can have life after this," Gamble said.
