A North Texas man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after being convicted of his ninth charge of driving while intoxicated.

Christopher Faran Stanford, 50, of Weatherford, pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated charges on Monday and elected to have a Parker County jury assess his punishment.

“Since Mr. Stanford had four previous prison sentences for felony DWI offenses, he was treated as a habitual offender,” Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain said in a news release. “His record showed that he was going to continue endangering communities throughout the Metroplex unless he was locked up. This was his first DWI in Parker County, but he had other convictions in Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, and Johnson Counties, so he has been a menace on the roadways throughout the DFW area.”

The case began Aug. 15, when troopers and firefighters responded to an accident at the intersection of FM 51 and State Texas 171, south of Weatherford.

When they arrived on scene, they found that Stanford’s Lincoln MKC had run a red light at the intersection and rear-ended a Kia Sorento.

The driver of the Kia told troopers that after the accident, Stanford said, “I have to go. I’m going to get in trouble.” He then ran, jumping over a barbed-wire fence, and ripping his jeans and shirt.

About 30 minutes after the accident, officers found Stanford hiding in a bush with ripped jeans and multiple lacerations on his body.

“The video that we admitted into evidence showed Mr. Stanford being belligerent and having difficulty standing without help,” said Assistant District Attorney Abby Placke, who tried the case with Assistant District Attorney Skyler Schoolfield. “At one point, he even tried to headbutt the Lifecare EMT that was trying to treat him. He was so drunk and obnoxious that the officers were unable to administer the field sobriety tests they normally perform. But it was clear that he was drunk, so he was arrested.”

After his arrest, Sanford agreed to provide a blood sample, which was taken and tested, revealing a blood alcohol concentration of 0.267. The legal limit for alcohol concentration for drivers in Texas is 0.08.

Stanford testified during the punishment phase of the trial and told jurors that he did not think that he had an alcohol problem, he was just “very unlucky,” according to Swain.

“I thought his testimony showed a lack of personal insight that was manifested in his lack of concern for others on our roads,” said Schoolfield. “In our case, he was not just intoxicated, he was flat-out drunk. With that level of intoxication and his high speed at the time of the accident, we really are lucky that the husband, wife, and teenage daughter in the other car only suffered minor injuries. This could have been much worse.”

Jurors deliberated about 90 minutes before returning with their verdict, according to Swain.

“Under Texas law, Mr. Stanford will be eligible for parole when his actual time served plus his good time credit totals 15 years,” said Swain. “However, the actual determination to release or retain him will be made by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.”