MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon High School Athletic Director Justin Sanford was arrested early Saturday morning for operating a motor vehicle while impaired.
According to police reports, Sanford was pulled over by MVPD Patrolman Justin Willis at 2:04 a.m. after failing to use a turn signal when going from South Mulberry Street to West Vine Street. When Willis approached Sanford after the stop, Willis noticed that the driver’s eyes were “bloodshot and watery.”
Sanford told Willis that he had “just picked up a friend from Flappers,” according to the report. When Willis asked Sanford if he had been drinking, Sanford said he had not. But Willis said he noticed “the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle,” which is when he called for additional units to help him conduct field sobriety tests.
Willis said Sanford could not maintain balance during the sobriety tests. He was then arrested for driving while impaired and was transported to the Knox County Jail, where he refused to submit a urine or breath sample. Because of this, Sanford was placed under administrative license suspension.
On Monday, Sanford’s attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf, according to court documents. There is a pre-trial/administrative license suspension hearing set for Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. at Mount Vernon Municipal Court.
Attempts to reach Mount Vernon Superintendent Bill Seder for comment on Wednesday were unsuccessful. Seder told the Mount Vernon News this week that the district is still gathering information on the situation and that it has not officially placed Sanford on formal leave.
