KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — A Knoxville man convicted of driving under the influence for the third time has received the maximum sentence allowed after a 2023 traffic stop that prosecutors say prevented a potentially serious crash.
Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen announced that Samuel Bivens was sentenced Thursday to 11 months and 29 days in jail following his conviction for DUI, third offense. Bivens was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
The conviction stems from a traffic stop on December 19, 2023, along Callahan Drive in Knoxville.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement officers observed Bivens driving on the wrong side of the road and making an illegal U-turn. As officers followed the vehicle, they reported seeing it weave between traffic lanes.
After stopping Bivens in the parking lot of a Days Inn, officers said he told them he was unfamiliar with the area and was searching for a bar.
Investigators reported that Bivens exhibited several signs of impairment, including slurred speech and the odor of alcohol. Officers also said he lost his balance while performing field sobriety tests.
A subsequent search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered a marijuana pipe, marijuana residue, and five beer cans.
When asked to provide a blood sample, prosecutors said Bivens initially claimed that his wife had been driving the vehicle, despite the fact she was not present. He ultimately refused to voluntarily provide a blood sample.
Law enforcement later obtained a search warrant for a blood draw. Testing showed Bivens had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.149, nearly twice Tennessee’s legal limit of 0.08.
“Luckily, this impaired driver was stopped by law enforcement before anyone was hurt by his reckless conduct,” Allen said in a statement.
A jury found Bivens guilty in June. The case concluded Thursday with the imposition of the maximum jail sentence allowed in the case.
