Repeat drunk driver sentenced to 4 years NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A repeat drunk driver apologized Wednesday before a Hamilton County judge handed down a four-year prison sentence. “I do take full responsibility for my actions,” said Timothy Hughes at his sentencing. “I feel nothing but shame, guilt and embarrassment that I put myself in this situation.” Judge Andrew Bloch cut off Hughes when the drunk driver vowed that it would never happen again. “You can’t assure me that it will never happen again,” said Bloch. “The time to get help was long ago, and I hope you really believe the things you’re telling me today. I have serious doubts about your sincerity.” Hughes was convicted in a drunk driving crash that injured Amanda Wheeler and killed her cousin Carla McCloud on Aug. 11, 2015, in Hancock County. His blood-alcohol level in 2015 was more than three times the legal limit. Hughes was sentenced to the maximum: 9.5 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. But I-Team 8 found Hughes served only half of his prison sentence and was released in 2020. In summer 2025, Hughes was arrested for driving drunk twice, once in Hamilton County and again in Henry County, both more than three times the legal limit. On May 27, the Hamilton County judge sentenced him to for years in prison after Hughes pleaded guilty to OWI endangering a person. “You probably should not drink again,” Bloch said at the sentencing. “But you have been afforded time and again opportunities to help out, and you have done the bare minimum.” “Why did the justice system allow this to happen?” Wheeler asked. “Why am I back here 10 years later having to relive all of this?” Hughes is already serving a four-year prison sentence for his Henry County drunk driving case for a total of eight years, followed by probation and a six-year driver’s license suspension. “I think in some ways it’s the justice system correcting itself,” Wheeler said. “I guess it feels like the first time obviously didn’t stick, it didn’t work, the lesson that he learned from it, or took from it, was not enough, and now his sentence is enhanced because of that lesson he didn’t learn.” Wheeler plans to work with lawmakers to stop drunk drivers from re-offending. “I think we need to have some more common-sense laws about whether it’s license suspension, or ignition interlocks,” Wheeler said. “My next goal is to start contacting people. I have a list of papers with laws that I think come into play in this case.” Wheeler plans to meet with state lawmakers. “My philosophy is fix it, don’t just throw it out,” Wheeler said. Despite Hughes 2015 sentence including a 10-year license suspension, that’s not what happened. Instead, his license was suspended for five years, from February 2016 until February 2021. Almost all of it was served while Hughes was locked up. I-Team 8 spent weeks contacting state and local agencies, and we learned it’s common for offenders to serve their driver’s license suspensions while they’re behind bars. “It doesn’t make sense to have a license suspension while you’re in prison,” Wheeler said. “You’re not driving.” She’s already met with the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council. “I actually learned in my meeting yesterday that there was a law that specifically stated that license suspensions would be enacted after release from prison, and what I learned is that state of Indiana had no way to do that, so we just weren’t doing It, and instead of fixing the problem, we just got rid of,” Wheeler said. As part of his Hamilton County sentence handed down on May 27, Hughes must also undergo a substance abuse evaluation and participate in community service. ...read more read less