An Assumption Parish sheriff's deputy was charged with his first DWI after he crashed his patrol car into a ditch early this morning, authorities said.

Joseph Repp, 22, 119 Oak Lane, Pierre Part, was also charged with hit-and-run driving and careless operation, Capt. Lonny Cavalier said. He was off duty when the crash occurred about 5 a.m. near Grand Bayou.

Cavalier said Repp abandoned the car but was apprehended shortly after. A breath test showed his blood-alcohol content was .09 percent -- just above the legal limit of .08.

Repp has been fired after four months with the Sheriff's Office, Cavalier said.

All of Repp's charges are misdemeanors and could result in a fine or some jail time if he's convicted. Cavalier said he may be eligible for a pre-trial diversion program since he has no criminal history.

Cavalier said the Sheriff's Office conducts background checks before hiring deputies and Sheriff Leland Falcon interviews them after an "extensive" application process. Repp was also scheduled to attend the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office's academy in March.

"(Falcon) holds his department to the highest standards and expects nothing less," Cavalier said. "We're here to uphold the law, and that's what we're going to do."

-- Staff Writer Bridget Mire can be reached at 448-7639 or bridget.mire@dailycomet.com. Follow her on Twitter @bridget_mire.