DWI arrestee had children in car

Thursday, September 17, 2009
By KATHY FAIRCHILD/Staff writer

An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday, Sept. 16, for Ryan D. Brust, 24, of Sedalia, following a traffic stop in Marshall.

Brust is charged with class A misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, two counts of class A misdemeanor second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and class C misdemeanor failure to maintain financial responsibility for a motor vehicle.

According to an incident report filed by Marshall Police, Brust was stopped in Marshall when a law enforcement officer identified a passenger in Brust's vehicle as someone wanted on an active arrest warrant.

The report says the arresting officers administered field sobriety tests when they noted Brust's bloodshot eyes and the odor of alcoholic beverages on his breath. Tests indicated his blood alcohol level to be 0.127 percent, above the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent.

During the arrest, the report continues, Brust told officers he was on probation in Pettis County for driving while intoxicated, although unofficial online court records do not bear that out.

In the car with Brust were two minor children, one 4 years old and the other 9 months old.

The arrest warrant asks a cash or surety bond of $2,500.

According to the report, Brust presented a valid drive's license, but when asked to produce proof of insurance, could not do so.

Charges contained in reports provided by law enforcement officials are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting charges must be presented before a jury, whose duty is to determine if the accused is guilty or not guilty of the charges.

Contact Kathy Fairchild at marshallhealth@socket.net

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How interesting is this??? Should the mother be charged...YES!!! Is she at home with her children now...YES!!! It's a shame that she can't seem to learn her lesson...warrant after warrant!! I know the article is not about her but she chose to put the lives of her children in harms way when she put them in the vehicle. TJO630 is correct that it was NOT the father in the vehicle with the children, I would like to assume that he is smarter than that. Take care of your kids Jeremy...you seem to be the only decent parent that those precious babies have!!

-- Posted by zab932 on Fri, Sep 18, 2009, at 10:48 PM

I wonder if those children are at home with the mother now. This could end up another headline next time, and too late to actually help the kids then.

-- Posted by News Hound on Fri, Sep 18, 2009, at 9:45 AM

tj0630: Thus far, we haven't seen charges for Holmes, which is why there's nothing in this story about it.

-- Posted by Kathy Fairchild on Fri, Sep 18, 2009, at 7:33 AM

Wonder Jim - I know it is easy to assume that the kids were with their father but they were not. The passenger that had the active warrant on them was the mother of the kids - Andrea Holmes. My question is why wasn't the mother charged with endangering the lives of her children? Her responsibility should be to protect her children and not put them in a dangerous environment. You notice her name is not mentioned in the article anywhere.

-- Posted by tj0630 on Fri, Sep 18, 2009, at 7:29 AM

The surgeon has been charged w/2nd degree murder. He has also given up his medical license and resigned his teaching post to enter "rehab". The father of the mother of three claims his daughter was not drunk that it was just a horrible accident. Reasoning ability disappears with each additional drink.

-- Posted by upsedaisy on Fri, Sep 18, 2009, at 3:48 AM

If you are convicted of DWI, Driving While Suspended/Revoked, No Insurance, Resisting or Eluding Law Enforcement, it should be mandatory that your automobile is seized and sold! The Courts don't scare these people, so get in their pocket and take their vehicles period! The money should be used to repay the agencies for cost the tax payers pay to deal over and over with these same people.

-- Posted by Gumby on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 11:42 PM

upsedaisie thank you for that info. That is very sad an disappointing of the judicial system. I wonder what is going to happen? Probation probably...

-- Posted by bmomma3 on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 10:15 PM

No laughing matter. This past weekend in the Research Triangle area of NC the following occurred:

A woman w/three children in her vehicle backed up over a 70 year old woman who died. The woman driver was arrested for DWI and endangerment of the three children. She had a previous conviction for DWI in the past year.

Friday night, a 42 year old surgeon drove 85 mph in a 45 mph zone. A promising 20 year old ballerina was killed when he crashed his Mercedes into her car.

Saturday morning, another doctor rear ended a car in which a bridegroom was riding to breakfast w/his groomsmen. The bridegroom was killed. Again, the doctor was DWI.

The accident happened w/less than four hours before the wedding. It was impossible to notify guests in time. The wedding became a memorial service.

What an enormous waste. Lives forever altered.

What is the solution? Higher fines for DWI? It seems to work in Sweden and Korea. The surgeon had a dwi conviction as well as one for underage drinking when he was 18.

-- Posted by upsedaisy on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 8:29 PM