Democratic State Representative Rob Briley of Nashville, former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, appeared in DeKalb County General Sessions Court Thursday and pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.
Briley waived his right to a hearing and entered the plea under a negotiated settlement with prosecutors. Judge Bratten Cook II gave Briley a 30 day suspended sentence and he must pay fines and court costs.
The other charges against Briley, non immediate notification of an accident and following to closely, were dismissed.
Briley was involved a “hit and run” in DeKalb County in September
Trooper Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said the 40 year old Briley was eastbound on Highway 70 at Dowelltown in a 2005 Nissan Xterra SUV when he rear-ended an eastbound 2007 Chevy Colorado pickup truck, driven by 56 year old John P. Mitchell of McMinnville.
Passengers with Mitchell were 50 year old Janice Mitchell and 9 year old Sabrina Flanagan both of McMinnville.
Briley was traveling alone.
No one was injured in the accident.
According to Mitchell and another witness, Briley made a U-turn in the highway after the collision and fled the scene going west toward Watertown, where he was later pulled over for speeding.
Trooper England says he went to the Wilson County Jail, where Briley was taken after his arrest in Watertown, and issued him citations for failure to give immediate notice of an accident, leaving the scene of an accident, a separate citation for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, and following to closely.
In addition to being charged with evading arrest, Briley allegedly failed three field sobriety tests and was charged with DUI in Wilson County. He also allegedly refused to take a blood or breathalyzer test and was charged with violation of the implied consent law.
The state lawmaker was later charged with vandalism by Wilson County authorities after he allegedly damaged a door to a patrol car by repeatedly kicking the door and window frame as he was being taken to jail.
Briley is still a member of the General Assembly but he stepped down from his chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee following his arrest.
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