Uintah County Deputy Makes DUI Arrest After Driver Ignores Stop Sign
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
| by Travis Uresk | June 27th 2026 |
Vernal, Utah (6/24/26)—At 11 PM, Deputy Ledbetter was stopped at a stop sign at 1500 S and 1500 W. A red passenger car traveling westbound drove through the intersection, ignoring the stop sign.
The deputy activated his emergency lights and got behind the vehicle. As the deputy got closer to the car, it swerved to the right shoulder of the road, then back to the middle line before pulling off to the side and stopping.
Sitting in the driver's seat, the deputy observed a white male identified as 56-year-old Charles Wayne McConkie.
Deputy Ledbetter asked Charles how he was doing tonight, and he blankly stared at the deputy, but didn't respond. The driver was asked why he didn't stop at the stop sign, and he replied that he was aware he had run it. While Charles was speaking, the deputy could smell the odor of alcohol coming from his breath.
Charles was asked if he had his driver's license with him. He reached for his wallet in his back pocket, and while looking for his license, he dropped it into his lap.
Charles told Deputy Ledbetter he wanted to be honest with him, and said that he had been drinking, believed he was over the legal limit, and handed his driver's license to the deputy.
Charles was asked to exit the vehicle. As Charles exited, he was asked if he would be willing to complete Field Sobriety Tests, to which he responded: "It would be pointless to do them, I know that I am drunk."
Charles McConkie was placed under arrest and provided a portable breath test (PBT) to determine whether he needed to be transported for a medical clearance before being transported to jail. He agreed and performed the PBT, which resulted in a .034.
After a search of Charles' driver's license status, it was discovered that he was an alcohol restricted driver, and was transported to the Uintah County Jail.
At the Uintah County Jail, while jail staff conducted a pat-down and medical screening, Charles asked Deputy Ledbetter if he wanted to know what was going to be in his blood. The deputy said, yes.
Charles then stated that there would be both alcohol and marijuana in his system. During the DUI investigation, while under Miranda, Charles stated that he had consumed alcohol as well as smoked marijuana from approximately 8:30 PM until 15 minutes before he was pulled over.
Charles' criminal history was reviewed, and it was discovered he had a prior DUI conviction in 2019 in Utah, making this his second DUI arrest in 10 years.
Charles Wayne McConkie was booked into Uintah County Jail for a 2nd offense DUI in 10 years, an alcohol-restricted driver, and Right of Way-Stop or yield sign.
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