Arizona charter school board director arrested for wrong-way DUI
May 28, 2019, 8:30 PM | Updated: 9:51 pm
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
PHOENIX – The new executive director of the board that oversees public charter schools in Arizona was charged with DUI after a wrong-way accident on Loop 202 in Phoenix last week.
Charles Tack, 31, faces two counts of aggravated DUI/wrong-way driving for the May 20 incident, according to the Maricopa County court website.
According to court documents, Tack got into a non-injury accident at around 8 p.m. while traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of Loop 202 near 48th Street in Ahwatukee.
The probable cause statement said his vehicle crossed the double-yellow lines into oncoming traffic and collided into the barrier wall on the opposite shoulder.
He allegedly swerved back into traffic and sideswiped an oncoming vehicle. He then pulled into a westbound off-ramp that was closed down.
A witness who followed him took his keys because she thought he might flee before law enforcement could arrive.
Troopers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety responded and performed field sobriety tests.
After being taken to a station, Tack consented to a breath test, which measured his blood alcohol content at .156 at 9:40 p.m.
Tack became executive director of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools earlier this year.
In a statement to ABC15, board president Kathy Senseman she has discussed the incident with Tack:
“In speaking with Charles, it is clear that he understands the extreme seriousness of this situation and that his alleged behavior, even as a one-time mistake, is absolutely unacceptable from someone in a position of leadership. The State Board of Charter Schools will closely monitor Charles’ case as it works its way through the legal system. We will determine at the appropriate time whether we need to take punitive action. In the interim, we have taken the step of making sure that Charles does not drive a state vehicle either at work or off work.”
Tack was granted supervised release, and a preliminary hearing was set for June 10.
Last year, legislation was enacted that made driving the wrong way while under the influence of drugs or alcohol a Class 4 felony.