St. Charles Man Faces Fifth DWI Charge After Rollover Accident on Hwy. 94

A St. Charles man faces his fifth drunk driving charge after a rollover accident ejected him from his car on Highway 94 in northeast St. Charles County.

Gary Scott Barringer, 50, of the 1300 block of North Second Street in St. Charles, was charged June 19 with driving while intoxicated as a chronic offender and driving with a revoked license. He has four previous DWI convictions, all in St. Charles County.

A St. Charles County Sheriff’s report indicates Barringer was driving a maroon Land Rover southbound on Highway 94 north of the Highway J intersection at about 11:33 p.m. June 19.

Officers said he crossed the center median and travelled off the roadway to the left. When he tried to correct, he hit a ditch and overturned about five times back over Highway 94 into a field. According to paramedics, he was thrown from the vehicle during the rollover.

Police said there were multiple alcoholic beverages on the scene near the vehicle.

Barringer was taken to SSM St. Joseph Health Center where St. Charles County Sheriff’s officials questioned him.

Barringer told officers he wasn’t driving, and that a friend who was driving ran away after the accident. According to a sheriff’s report, he first said someone named Jennifer was driving, then changed to John and then Jeff.

A deputy said Barringer refused a sobriety test, saying, “I’m drunk. That’s why I wasn’t driving.”

According to a court document, Barringer called his wife following the accident. His wife called 911 and told the operator her husband had been driving, was in an accident, and there were no passengers.

Bond has been set at $30,000, cash only. Barringer is prohibited from driving, and upon release he is to wear an alcohol-monitoring device.