Derek Haskayne was driving along Lakeview Avenue in Placentia on the night of Jan. 29 when, authorities say, he smashed into a high-voltage power box.

Witnesses would say he tossed liquor bottles from his car after the crash, and an officer determined he appeared to be under the influence, court records show.

Haskayne, a 51-year-old Placentia businessman, was taken into custody – his ninth arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in Orange County in less than six years.

An estimated 1.5 million people are arrested for driving under the influence in the United States each year. One in three first-timers will go on to get another DUI, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Orange County, about 19,000 people have been convicted of more than one DUI since 2000, said Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Susan Price. The county has one of the highest DUI-conviction rates in the state, succeeding nearly 85 percent of the time, Price said, but repeat offenders continue to be a serious problem.

“Our office is constantly looking at ways we can help to educate the community and fix loopholes in the law that deal with multiple DUI offenders,” she said.

While the punishment increases for each new DUI offense, in most cases the maximum sentence a person can receive is three years in prison for the fourth or more felony DUI convictions within 10 years, attorneys said.

For some people, especially those in the grips of addiction, time behind bars is not a deterrent, said Laguna Beach DUI defense attorney Barry Simons.

“I’ve been doing this for over 40 years and I’ve seen CEOs of companies and successful people destroy their lives,” he said. “That’s how profound the addiction is.”

Haskayne was arrested for his first DUI in October 2011 when he was 47.

An owner of a successful manufacturing company, d/k technologies in Placentia, Haskayne was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to enroll in a first-time offender program.

Less than two months later, he was again arrested for a DUI, according to court records. He was arrested again the following year in March, and again in April.

By July 2012, less than a year after his first, he had racked up six DUI arrests.

His long-time defense attorney, Marlon Stapleton, said Haskayne would post bail after each arrest, and because the charges in his second case were still pending, he was essentially netting DUI arrests faster than the legal system could catch up with him. The five cases were all pending at the same time.

Stapleton said Haskayne at the time was experiencing a major life trauma, which triggered his addiction.

“He went through some really bad times when he picked up most of them,” Stapleton said.

Haskayne said he was devastated when his wife of 20 years left him in 2011, according to court records. Records show she filed a restraining order against him that year, stating that he was a “severe alcoholic” and that she feared for the safety of their young son.

The District Attorney’s Office consolidated his six DUI cases and charged him with multiple felonies. In June 2013, Haskayne pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm to one year in jail and five years of formal probation.

He could have faced two years in prison, but the judge agreed that Haskayne would be better served with jail time and formal probation, where he could get treatment, Stapleton said.

“Everyone agreed it was the right thing to do for him at the time,” Stapleton said. “In prison, alcoholics get zero help and no supervision once they’re out.”

In jail custody, Haskayne was able to enroll in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s community work program, which allows some inmates to perform work for the county during the day and spend nights at home.

And in October 2013, less than four months after his guilty plea, Haskayne was arrested for his seventh DUI while technically still in jail custody.

This time he was sentenced to two years in prison. He agreed to monitoring via a portable breathalyzer after his release in October 2014, according to court records. But in June of the following year, Haskayne was driving on a suspended license when a Laguna Beach police officer watched him glide slowly onto a sidewalk and crash into a light pole.

“The offender was slumped over the steering wheel and appeared out of it,” a probation report says. “He appeared to be dazed and groggy.”

He was sentenced to three years in prison and later completed a residential treatment program. But on Jan. 20, he was kicked out of his sober-living home for testing positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, according to court records.

A week later, he crashed in Placentia – for his ninth DUI arrest.

In all, he has served a total of about a year in state prison and was twice released into the county’s custody for post-release supervision, according to the California Department of Corrections. It is unclear how much time he spent in county jail.

In court on Wednesday, Haskayne was sentenced to six months in jail for violating his probation. The charges for the ninth DUI are pending.

Price, the deputy district attorney, said the DA’s Office intends to seek the maximum punishment in light of Haskayne’s history. She said he continuously ignores the law and poses a threat to public safety.

“Unfortunately … there are times where even the best efforts to warn a driver of the dangers of DUI don’t result in meaningful behavior change,” she said.

While Stapleton has had many clients with repeat DUIs, he said, Haskayne’s case is extreme. Haskayne’s family, friends and employees are all worried and frustrated, he said. Stapleton said he’s hopeful his client can get proper treatment.

“He’s a unique guy that has a raging problem, and we gotta figure out this time how to stop him and get him help,” the lawyer said. “Of course, we thank God he hasn’t hurt anyone.”

With his prior cases and aggravating factors, Haskayne is now facing up to five years in prison, he said.

Price said the legal system offers many resources for repeat offenders. In addition to jail and prison time, a driver could be ordered to attend daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and enroll in an 18-month alcohol diversion program. An ignition interlock device, which acts as a breathalyzer, could be ordered by a judge to be installed in the offender’s car.

The District Attorney’s Office recently drafted proposed legislation that would fix a “loophole” that allows first-time felony DUI offenders to petition to reduce the felony to a misdemeanor after a certain amount of time. The legislation would make the felony a permanent mark on the driver’s record.

While most first-time DUIs are charged as misdemeanors, a driver can be charged with a felony for his first DUI if, for example, he caused an accident with great bodily injury.

Patricia Rillera, regional executive director for MADD Southern California, supports stiffer laws, including ignition interlock devices for all offenders.

“The laws don’t always align themselves with the severity of the crime,” she said. “Drunk driving affects everyone, and that’s why it’s so important that we continue to educate the public about making smart and safe choices.”

Staff writer Shane Newell contributed to this report

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com