Boonsboro doctor pleads guilty to DUI in crash that injured two others

A Boonsboro doctor pleaded guilty Thursday in Washington County District Court to driving under the influence related to a Jan. 26 crash on Md. 67 that sent two people in another vehicle to hospitals.

Retired Judge M. Kenneth Long Jr. sentenced Dr. William F. Bodenheimer, 56, of Boonsboro, to six months in jail, but suspended the entire sentence. Long also fined Bodenheimer $350 and put him on supervised probation for three years.

When Long said he suspected Bodenheimer has had sufficient time to think about what happened that day, to the extent no one died, Bodenheimer nodded his head yes.

"It doesn't take much to totally mess up a life," Long said.

Several other citations, including reckless driving, negligent driving and driving a vehicle while so far impaired by alcohol one cannot drive safely were dropped as part of the plea deal.

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What we know about the Jan. 26 DUI-related crash on Md. 67

Assistant State's Attorney Cyrus Jaghoory said a Maryland State Police trooper was dispatched around 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, to a multi-vehicle crash on Rohrersville Road (Md. 67), south of Reno Monument Road.

The trooper found a silver Chevy Equinox about 100 feet off the road with extensive damage and a gray Mercedes C-Class also off the road with heavy front-end damage.

Jaghoory told the judge the crash was a rear-end collision, with Bodenheimer's car striking the other vehicle.

The driver of the Chevy was taken to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown and the passenger was flown to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland, Jaghoory said.

Neither victim provided comment during Thursday's hearing. At least one of the victims was in the courtroom.

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Bodenheimer, the driver in the Mercedes, told police he was on his way home from Boonsboro, Jaghoory said. He did not have his wallet. Bodenheimer, who was reluctant to look at the trooper, had glassy eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, the prosecutor said.

Bodenheimer at first declined transport to Meritus Medical Center, saying he wasn't hurt, Jaghoory said. Bodenheimer believed something had hit him, the prosecutor said.

Jaghoory recounted questions Bodenheimer was asked that evening.

Asked how much he had to drink that night, Bodenheimer said, "More than I should."

Asked if that contributed to the crash, he said, "Probably."

At the scene, Bodenheimer said, "This is it for me. One way or another, I'm done," Jaghoory said.

Bodenheimer, who told first-responders his back and ankle were hurt, refused to provide a breath sample at Meritus, Jaghoory said.

Defense attorney Reginald Jordan said Bodenheimer cooperated with police.

Defendant has already begun treatment, going to support group

Other than speeding tickets, Jaghoory told the judge Bodenheimer had no other driving convictions that he was aware of.

Jordan said Bodenheimer has been a longtime physician and owns his own practice in Boonsboro. He also served as a physician with the Air Force.

Getting behind the wheel that evening was the "worst decision of his life," Jordan said of Bodenheimer.

Bodenheimer has already taken steps, including treatment, to ensure this doesn't happen again, Jordan told the judge.

The doctor has completed 14 of 26 classes through a treatment program, finished a driver improvement program and completed a Mothers Against Drunk Driving program, Jordan said.

He also has an interlock in his vehicle, Jordan said.

Bodenheimer has joined Alcoholics Anonymous, going to meetings three times a week, Jordan said.

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Jordan said Bodenheimer has patients counting on him and asked the judge to issue probation before judgment — known as PBJ, or unsupervised probation.

With PBJ, the final entry of a guilty judgment is technically suspended, giving the defendant a chance to request expungement of their record after completing conditions.

Long said he was not going grant PBJ "at this time," saying Bodenheimer has "to earn" PBJ. The judge ordered the fine and suspended jail sentence.

The judge said Bodenheimer is to complete the treatment program and encouraged him to continue to go to AA meetings.

Asked after the hearing if he had a comment, Jordan said, "No, other than he made a mistake."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Western Maryland doctor pleads guilty to DUI in multi-vehicle crash