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Armless man gets 5 years for driving
Posted 1h 17m ago | Comments 8 | Recommend 1 E-mail | Save | Print |



NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (AP) — A man with no arms and one leg who wouldn't stop driving despite a long list of traffic violations was sentenced to five years in prison Friday on felony driving and drug charges.
Michael Francis Wiley, 40, also was sentenced to 15 years of drug offender probation. He pleaded no contest in June to the charges.

"I'd just like to say I know what I did was wrong," Wiley said in court Friday. "I am truly sorry your honor. I am."

Wiley taught himself to drive after losing both arms and a leg in an electrical accident when he was 13. He has already spent more than three years in prison for habitually driving without a license, kicking a state trooper and other charges.

He once had a valid license, but it has been suspended several times since 1985, according to his attorney. He starts the car with his toes, shifts with his knee and steers with the stump of his left arm. He turns on the lights with his teeth.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Wiley
In his most recent brush with the law last May, Wiley sped off in a Ford Explorer when police approached him at a convenience store, officials said. Officers pursued, but called off the chase after eight minutes because they did not want to put others in danger, police said.

Defense attorney John Hooker pleaded for leniency and a minimum sentence of 2 1/2 years. He cited his client's need for treatment for his many physical and mental health problems, including anxiety, panic attacks, depression and a pain disorder related to his amputations.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Wiley said he's done driving.

"I'm beat. The white flag is up," he said. "You can only bang your head against the wall so long before it hurts."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted 1h 17m ago E-mail | Save | Print |
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Comments: (8)


Pennypacker wrote: 9m ago
They tried to stop him but they couldnt find a way to put the cuffs on him.


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cleats wrote: 11m ago
How can a State Trooper be kicked by a man with one leg! The trooper should be fired for being an idiot or falsifying a police report.


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ralgis wrote: 30m ago
You'd think that this would be Evil Knevil after all those stunts from the 60s and 70s. And then settling down to drive a car instead of riding his motorcycle.


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bigpun1_04 wrote: 35m ago
they should cut off his other leg just to remove any more temptation to drive


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Hollywood wrote: 38m ago
The man has skills



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e.brtt wrote: 40m ago
Defantly a story to tell the other inmates, and/or fellow officers.


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jayhawker wrote: 47m ago
In my opinion: you beat me to it...how the hell did a guy with one leg kick someone else?

Wonder if his name is "Lucky".


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In my opinion wrote: 55m ago
"after losing both arms and a leg in an electrical accident when he was 13" "He has already spent more than three years in prison for" "kicking a state trooper "

A one leg man in an A$$ kicking contest. I would have loved to see that!