The man of many DUIs kept driving, has a crash

Last year, when Dwight David Benson was sentenced to an exceptional three-year jail term for his 12th drunken-driving conviction, he promised to "never drink and drive again."

Last weekend — while free on bond pending an appeal of that sentence — the 64-year-old Benson crashed another car, apparently while drunk.

Benson appeared Thursday in Seattle Municipal Court, where Judge Fred Bonner promptly revoked the bond and had Benson led away in handcuffs.

Benson's record of drinking and driving stretches to at least 1984, when he was first convicted in Seattle of drunken driving. Court documents show he has had 18 reckless- and alcohol-related driving convictions, and more than a dozen other convictions for driving on suspended or invalid licenses.

When he was sentenced last April, the judge said it was "miraculous" that he'd never hurt anyone, and city prosecutors urged the exceptional sentence saying "he simply never will stop driving drunk. ... There is no other way to keep the citizens of Washington safe other than to incarcerate Mr. Benson."

Benson was released from jail in June on bond after he appealed the sentence, according to court records.

Benson is a 30-year Navy veteran who served multiple tours in Vietnam, according to court testimony. His family says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with alcoholism since the war.

His brother, Keith, was in court on Thursday and watched as Benson was led away by Seattle police.

"It's a sickness. He's a good person, but the sickness has got the best of him," Keith Benson said, shaking his head. His brother is disabled and does not work, he said.

Benson had been sober and doing well until he got into a fight with a sibling over the weekend, Keith Benson said.

Until Saturday, Benson "was doing so good and not driving," his brother said.

Because Benson has more than four DUI-related convictions in the past decade, state law requires his most recent case be handled as a felony. If convicted, he could be sentenced to prison.

Benson is being held without bail at the King County Jail for investigation of felony DUI. King County prosecutors say they expect to start reviewing the case on Friday.

Benson was arrested for investigation of drunken driving and driving with a suspended license after he reportedly rear-ended a car at a stoplight around 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the 3700 block of Martin Luther King Way South. Seattle police Officer Chris Caron questioned Benson about the crash and reported smelling alcohol on the man's breath.

Benson couldn't recite the alphabet, couldn't touch his finger to his nose and was generally "uncooperative," Caron wrote in his report. After failing those tests, Benson refused to take a breath test.

Assistant City Attorney Lorna Staten Sylvester, who handled Benson's prosecution last year, on Thursday told Judge Bonner that Benson's latest arrest puts him in violation of his appeal bond — which required that Benson not commit any new crimes, not drive and not consume alcohol. Bonner revoked the bond and sent Benson back to the King County Jail.

"Mr. Benson has the most convictions for DUI that I have ever seen," Sylvester said.

When Benson was sentenced on April 1, 2010, City Attorney Pete Holmes applauded the tough jail term and said that his heart went out to Benson and his family. But, Holmes added, "we really have an obligation to protect the citizens of Seattle."

That sentence included a year each for two DUI convictions, one of which occurred in 2009 while Benson was out on bail for a 2007 arrest for driving on a suspended license. He was sentenced to a third year for that offense.

The sentences were imposed consecutively, meaning that he would serve the full three years.

However, Benson appealed that sentence and Municipal Judge Ron Mamiya in June authorized his release on $75,000 bond and a promise not to drink or drive. Holmes said his office objected to Benson's release on bail.

Benson's appeal to the 2010 sentences are pending before the state Court of Appeals.

On Thursday, Holmes said he is "grateful that Mr. Benson didn't injure anyone in the latest incident."

Seattle Times news researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com