A man convicted of driving drunk and killing a trooper is behind bars again.
David Dye lost his license for life after a crash in 2001 that killed Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Frank Vazquez.
Vazquez had conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 270 on Nov. 5, 2001 when Dye lost control of his vehicle and struck the trooper’s vehicle.
Dye was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide and served nearly eight years in prison for the crash.
He was placed on parole after being released and in January 2011, he was released from parole.
Police and the prosecutor's office had been tipped off that Dye was driving again, so officers had been keeping an eye out for him for about two weeks.
Dye was pulled over and arrested in Genoa Township Saturday, charged with open container and driving under a lifetime suspension.
According to Genoa Township police, Dye was spotted going into a business to get a haircut Saturday. After he left the business, an officer confirmed that Dye was driving a vehicle and that his license was under suspension.
"[I] asked him if he would step out of the car [and] while I was speaking with him, I could smell alcohol. When I got him out of the car, he said he had not been drinking and no indications from that and I asked him if he knew his driver's license was suspended," said I. J. Otterbacher, of Genoa Township police.
An officer stopped his vehicle and, police said, they found a cup of lemonade and vodka inside the vehicle.
According to police, Dye had not been drinking, but said he was taking the mixed drink to watch the Buckeye game.
The family of Vazquez was in court for Dye's arraignment and said his arrest is just a slap in the face.
"To me, he doesn't seem like he feels any remorse. This is a man who has had many chances to change his ways and he has chosen not to. I don't know why. But I want to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone again…My family hasn't gone through what we've gone through so he could go out and hurt another family," said Kristina Vazquez, Frank's widow.
Dye had five drunken driving convictions before the fatal crash. He served his sentence, attended all prison Alcoholic Anonymous meetings and followed the rules of his parole.
"It still comes back to you. [We] can't … have a police officer on every corner and you can't solve the problem by repeat penalties," said Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien.
Bond for Dye was set at $20,000.
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