HENRY COUNTY, Ind.—A repeat drunk driver is headed to prison again.
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A Henry County judge convicted Timothy Hughes Thursday of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person, a Level 5 Felony.
The judge sentenced Hughes to 4 years in the Indiana Department of Correction followed by a 6-year suspension of his driver’s license.
Court documents alleged that on June 16, 2025, Hughes was on I-70 “all over the roadway, driving at a high rate of speed.”
A Henry County Sheriff’s deputy pulled Hughes over on State Road 3 and Fair Oaks Road after the deputy observed him weaving in and out of his lane, court documents allege.
The deputy noted “an overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage” coming from his vehicle.
Prosecutors say Hughes’ blood alcohol level was more than 3 times the legal limit.
He told deputies, “F**k all ya’ll. I know I’m going back to prison,” read court documents.
In court Thursday, Hughes admitted that his behavior put other people’s lives at risk.
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Amanda Wheeler sat in the courtroom for Thursday’s sentencing.
“I’m a little all over the place right now being in the courtroom,” said Wheeler. “I think the biggest concern is the transparency and what happens next.”
Hughes was convicted in a drunk driving crash that injured Amanda Wheeler and killed her cousin Carla McCloud on August 11, 2015 in Hancock County.
His blood alcohol level in 2015 was more than 3 times the legal limit.
Hughes was sentenced to the maximum -- 9.5 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections and a 10-year driver's license suspension.
Hughes served only half of his prison sentence.
In 2020, he was released from prison with credits for time served, plus credits for education and completion of programs while in prison.
Four years later, on August 1, 2024, Hughes’ license was suspended for Failure to Appear for Driver Safety Program.
A month later, on September 1, 2024, Indiana State Police ticketed
Hughes for driving while suspended on I-65 in Bartholomew County.
Hughes paid a $152.50 fine, and days later, he got his driver’s license back.
Less than a year later, on May 1, 2025, Hughes had a valid driver’s license when Cicero Police stopped him for allegedly driving drunk.
His driver’s license was not suspended again until May 15, 2025, after his Hamilton County OWI arrest.
WRTV Investigates spent weeks contacting state and local agencies and we learned it’s common for offenders to serve their driver’s license suspensions while they’re behind bars.
Amanda Wheeler hopes in the new Henry County case that the criminal justice system follows the sentence— specifically the 6-year license suspension upon his release from prison.
“It doesn’t make sense to have a license suspension while you’re in prison,” said Wheeler. “You’re not driving.”
Wheeler plans to communicate with prosecutors and the Indiana Department of Correction.
“I have every intention of contacting who I need to make sure this is brought to the surface and people understand it,” said Wheeler. “My hope is obviously to get those organizations to start communicating together, so that there is transparency in the sentencing and so I can walk out of a courtroom like this and know what’s going to happen."
Hughes still has a pending drunk driving case in Hamilton County.
He will be due back in court on April 27 in the Hamilton County case.
Court documents allege on May 1, Hughes was in Cicero, swerving in and out of his lane on his way to work at 7 a.m.
Court documents allege Hughes attempted to walk away from police officers, claiming he was OK and had just woken up.
“He stated at one point during the test that he was going to lose his job,” according to an affidavit for probable cause from Cicero Police.
Hamilton County prosecutors allege Hughes’ blood alcohol level was .30, nearly four times the legal limit.
One-third of drunk drivers will reoffend, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
