Sparks man found guilty of DUI; leaving the scene

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - A Sparks man has been found guilty of DUI causing substantial bodily harm and leaving the scene of an accident.

32-year-old Michael O’Farrell was found guilty last Thursday after a weeklong trial.

O’Farrell was arrested in May 2022 in connection with an accident investigation. Sparks Police initially responded to the intersection of Pyramid Way and Holman Way in Sparks for an accident in which a motorcycle was struck by a vehicle.

When Sparks police arrived, they found the driver of the motorcycle critically injured. Witnesses were able to provide a description of the driver who fled the area, and O’Farrell was arrested a short time later.

Further investigation from SPD found that O’Farrell was under the influence of alcohol at the time and that he had struck the motorcyclist while turning onto Holman.

A toxicology report found O’Farrell’s blood alcohol content was 0.200 around an hour after the crash.

The victim sustained severe bodily injuries, including multiple breaks and bone fractures, as well as brain trauma. He spent around 40 days in Renown before being transferred to a rehab hospital.

He will be sentenced on May 12 and faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.