MILFORD, Del. - State Rep. Kevin Hensley (District 9) has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a 2024 drunk driving crash that left another driver hurt. As part of a plea agreement secured by the Delaware Department of Justice, Hensley will lose his driver's license for one year, serve probation and complete mandatory DUI education.
Hensley, 59, of the Townsend area, pleaded guilty to Driving Under the Influence and Vehicular Assault in the Third Degree. He was sentenced to a suspended 18-month prison term, one year of license revocation, probation, a $500 fine and required participation in a DUI instruction program.
The charges followed a Delaware State Police investigation into the Nov. 9, 2024 crash, when Hensley pulled out of a Valero gas station parking lot onto Route 1 in Milford and struck a gray Ford Fusion. The collision caused the other car to flip before coming to a stop.
The charges followed a Delaware State Police investigation into the Nov. 9, 2024 crash, when Hensley pulled out of a Valero gas station parking lot onto Route 1 in Milford and struck a gray Ford Fusion. (Carlisle Fire Company)
According to police, the driver of the Ford suffered cuts and reported chest pain caused by the airbag. (Carlisle Fire Company)
According to police, the driver of the Ford suffered cuts and reported chest pain caused by the airbag. Hensley and his adult daughter, who was in the car with him, were not hurt. Officers at the scene reported that Hensley failed field sobriety tests and registered a 0.142 blood alcohol concentration on a portable breathalyzer.
The victim in the crash passed away weeks later due to unrelated medical issues, which the state Medical Examiner attributed to a stroke and a brain tumor.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings emphasized the danger of driving under the influence, "Drunk driving is dangerous and unacceptably common,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “No one has an excuse to get behind the wheel while under the influence; ever. It is a miracle no one was seriously injured or worse. I thank our prosecutors and the Delaware State Police for their excellent work in this case.”
Hensley’s plea deal aligns with the state’s sentencing guidelines for first-time DUI offenses with no qualifying prior convictions within 10 years. Though Hensley has a prior conviction for Reckless Driving Alcohol Related from 2009, Delaware law requires that a previous DUI fall within a 10-year window to be considered a second offense.