Sparks man given 20 years for DUI and leaving the scene

Michael O'Farrell and the scene of the crash with a motorcycle at Pyramid and Holman ways in Sparks.(Washoe County jail and Daniel Pyke/KOLO)
Published: Jun. 7, 2023 at 12:29 PM PDT

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - A Sparks man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident in which the victim sustained multiple fractures and a brain bleed.

33-year-old Michael O’Farrell will be eligible for parole after six years have been served.

O’Farrell was arrested in May of 2022 after the truck he was driving crashed into a motorcycle near Pyramid and Holman Way in Sparks.

When Sparks Police officers arrived on scene, they found the victim, a 28-year-old man, lying in the road with multiple fractures to his left leg and pelvis, a brain bleed, brain swelling, and abrasions.

An investigation revealed O’Farrell was driving his truck when he struck the victim’s motorcycle and fled the scene. Witnesses were able to provide a description of the truck to authorities and he was subsequently arrested.

A toxicology report revealed O’Farrell had a BAC of 0.20 one hour after the crash.

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