Bill requires breath-test device for first-time OVI offenders | Chillicothe Gazette

The family of a beloved Chillicothe attorney killed by a drunken driver wants everyone convicted of driving while impaired to have their breath tested before they drive again.

Annie Rooney

Ohio law requires ignition interlock devices for repeat drunken drivers, but the family of Annie Rooney wants the device installed for first-time offenders as well. The device requires drivers to blow into a breathalyzer, which calculates blood-alcohol concentration, and will prevent the vehicle from starting if the driver tests higher than the preset limit, usually 0.025 BAC.

“It’s like having an electronic probation officer in the front seat,” said Doug Scoles, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Ohio.

The bill, introduced by State Reps. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, and Gary Scherer, R-Circleville, on Thursday, is called Annie’s Law in memory of the 36-year-old Rooney, who died after colliding with drunken driver Shira Seymour on July 4 in Ross County. In February, Seymour was sentenced to the maximum eight years in prison for Rooney’s death.

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