Sacramento man gets jail time and felony for his fourth DUI after driving off levee

A Sacramento man was sentenced Monday for a felony charge of driving under the influence, which marked his fourth conviction for the offense since 2010.

According to a news release from the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, Simon Kukhta of Sacramento County was sentenced to 240 days in prison, which will be followed by 490 days on mandatory supervision for DUI. The District Attorney’s office said Kukhta’s conviction was upgraded to a felony because of his three prior convictions for DUI in 2010, 2014 and 2018.

Evidence presented at trial detailed a September crash that lead to Kukhta’s arrest. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Kukhta, 53, had been driving on a road in Yolo County when he drove off a levee. His car was then stuck on an embankment.

Kukhta told officers he was returning from an all-night fishing trip and had not consumed any alcohol, but he refused requests from law enforcement to submit to breathalyzer testing despite being on probation for a previous DUI conviction, said the District Attorney’s Office.

According to the release, a subsequent blood test showed Kukhta’s blood alcohol content to be more than twice the legal limit at the time of the crash.

“Repeat DUI offenders pose the greatest risk because they lack the self control to not drive impaired,” said Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney. “We must continue to not only hold those who put others on the road at risk accountable, but also work on long-term behavior changes to prevent high-risk individuals from re-offending.”