Wife of Sen. Lugar pleads guilty to DWI in Va.; no jail time for 2009 crash with parked car

Wife of Sen. Lugar pleads guilty to DWI in Va.

FAIRFAX, Va. — The wife of Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana has pleaded guilty to drunken driving in a crash with a parked car in Virginia.

The Virginia judge suspended a 30-day jail sentence but in a hearing Friday placed severe restrictions on Charlene Lugar’s driver’s license for the next year.

The 77-year-old was charged in November after hitting an unattended car in her McLean neighborhood in the Washington suburbs. Police spotted Lugar about two miles away, still behind the wheel while smoke rose from the hood of her Buick.

Court records indicate her blood-alcohol level was 0.11, above the legal limit of 0.08.

The senator’s office declined comment. After the arrest, Lugar’s office issued a statement saying he and his wife were “deeply sorry.”