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FAA head Randy Babbitt charged with drunk driving in Fairfax
By Mary Pat Flaherty and Ashley Halsey III
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration was charged with drunk driving Saturday night by Fairfax City police after being spotted driving on the wrong side of Old Lee Highway, according to the arresting officer.
(Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP) FAA Administrator Jerome Randolph “Randy” Babbitt, 65, of Reston, was alone in his vehicle at about 10:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Old Lee Highway and was not involved in any accident, police said. He cooperated with the officer and was released on his own recognizance after being taken before a magistrate.
U.S. Department of Transportation spokeswoman Sasha J. Johnson said the agency planned to release a statement later today.
Babbitt was sworn in as the FAA’s 16th administrator in June 2009. He is a veteran pilot and flew for 25 years for Eastern Airlines, according to his official biography.
Babbitt’s arrest information was made public in accordance with a Fairfax City police general order that says the arrest of public officials, including federal officials, for “any criminal charge or serious traffic charge (e.g. driving under the influence, reckless driving)” will be released.
Babbitt faces a Feb. 2 court appearance, said Sgt. Joe Johnson, a Fairfax City police spokesman.
Fairfax Police do not release the blood-alcohol level of those charged, or the results of roadside sobriety tests, said Johnson. State law defines DWI as a .08 blood alcohol concentration.
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