Authorities in Castle Rock, Colorado said that a member of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office was driving under the influence when he was involved in a multi-vehicle accident on New Year's Day. The accused deputy has been charged with DUI and careless driving in connection with the incident, and has been suspended from his job. No serious injuries were reported.

According to the Denver Post, the deputy was not on duty when he hit the brakes of his Ford Escape while driving northbound on Interstate 25 around 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 1. The sudden obstacle in the road caused two vehicles to crash into the Escape. Three more vehicles were involved in an accident while trying to avoid the first collision, and another vehicle crashed into the second pile-up, a Castle Rock police spokeswoman said.

There were four reported injuries, all minor. None of the injured people required hospitalization.

The deputy, who has been with the sheriff's office since April 2008, was arrested and charged with DUI, careless driving and DUI per se, which means he failed a breath test at the scene. He is currently assigned to the Special Operations Response Team, which deals with disturbances at the local jail. However, the sheriff's office placed him on unpaid administrative leave following his arrest.

A spokesman for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the department would conduct an internal investigation, but the main investigation is being performed by Castle Rock police. The spokesman declined to comment further on the accident.

Source: Denver Post, "Douglas County deputy accused of DUI in New Year's crash," Joey Bunch, Jan. 3, 2012