Man Found Guilty of 3rd DWI in Past 2 Years Following Norview Avenue Crash
NORFOLK, Va. – Wilbur Lee Goodwyn Jr., 60, was convicted following a bench trial on Tuesday of felony driving while intoxicated (his third offense in the past two years), refusing a breath test, and driving without a license from a crash earlier this year.
On May 8 around 3 a.m., Norfolk Police officers responded to a single-vehicle crash near Five Points at the intersection of Norview Avenue and Humboldt Street. Officers found Mr. Goodwyn in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, which he had crashed into a business sign, and smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Mr. Goodwyn. Officers also noticed that Mr. Goodwyn was not steady on his feet and was slurring his speech. When Mr. Goodwyn refused to take a preliminary breath test, the officers transported Mr. Goodwyn to the Norfolk City Jail.
Mr. Goodwyn has twice in the past two years been convicted of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated: once in Portsmouth in July 2023 and then in Norfolk in March 2024. Because the May incident was Mr. Goodwyn’s third offense of driving while intoxicated, Mr. Goodwyn was charged with a felony. Mr. Goodwyn was also charged with refusing a breath test for the second time within a 10-year period and with driving without a license — both misdemeanors.
On Tuesday, Mr. Goodwyn pleaded not guilty to his three charges and opted to be tried by a judge. After hearing the evidence, Judge Michelle J. Atkins found Mr. Goodwyn guilty as charged and set his sentencing hearing on Dec. 19.
“Driving under the influence the first time is a crime and, hopefully, a lesson not to make the same mistake twice,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Goodwyn drove drunk three times in two years, which is incredibly dangerous, is unnecessary, and ignores the risk of injury of death to the people in Mr. Goodwyn’s path. We took this case to trial, and we will seek a sentence of confinement that will protect the community and, after release, hopefully offer Mr. Goodwyn the opportunity not to endanger himself and others again.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney David A. Johnson is prosecuting Mr. Goodwyn’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Officer Quantez M. Hunter led the investigation.
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