FedEx delivery to wrong address leads to arrest

December 18, 2018 | 3:02 am

Updated December 19, 2018 | 7:23 am

Graphic by Owensboro Times

A contractor with FedEx delivery services was arrested Saturday, Dec. 15 after attempting to deliver a package to the wrong address. According to a report from the Owensboro Police Department, the driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol when he was apprehended by the responding officer.

Kirk W. Knight, 48 years old, of Newburgh, In. was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, etc. (aggravated circumstances) and for possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle. It was Knight’s first arrest for DUI.

The OPD police report states that Knight was arrested at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the 3400 block of Christie Place after a resident called OPD to report that a FedEx driver in a yellow Penske truck had approached his home with a package meant for a different address. The owner of the residence reported that he could smell alcohol on the delivery driver’s breath. The resident also said Knight’s speech was slurred when he spoke, leading him to believe Knight was driving while intoxicated.

The resident gave OPD the license plate number of the vehicle and an officer located the truck after Knight began driving southbound on Christie Place. The OPD officer observed Knight as he attempted to drive away from the residence where he’d delivered the package.

Knight was stopped by the officer, who said he immediately smelled alcohol when he approached the driver, also noting in the police report that the driver’s eyes were bloodshot. Knight failed a field sobriety test and HGN (horizontal gaze nystagmus) after being asked to balance his weight on one leg and walk in a straight line.

The officer performed a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) on Knight, which registered the presence of alcohol. Knight’s alcohol level was registered at .215, which is almost two-and-a-half times over the legal driving limit on a breathalyzer test. According to Kentucky state law, any alcohol level of .15 or more within 2 hours after operating a vehicle constitutes as an aggravated DUI charge.

The officer found a bottle in the passenger floorboard of Knight’s vehicle containing a clear substance that was determined to be alcohol.

Knight told the officer he hadn’t been drinking on the job, but that he’d been drinking the night before because he’d “had a long night.”

Nikki Mendicino with FedEx Ground Public Relations left a statement for the Owensboro Times regarding the incident.

“FedEx Ground expects the highest levels of conduct from its contracted service providers and their employees,” Mendicino said. “These independent businesses contractually agree to comply with the law. We are taking the appropriate steps to address the matter.”

December 18, 2018 | 3:02 am

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