JACKSON — The state Court of Appeals has upheld the 15-year prison sentence given a Warren County man convicted in 2005 of driving his car around a funeral procession and hitting Deputy Sheriff Mike Hollingsworth.

Ronald Vaughn was charged with aggravated driving under the influence of a controlled substance in the Feb. 9, 2004 ,incident on U.S. 80 between Glenwood Funeral Home and Green Acres Memorial Park.

Hollingsworth was outside his patrol car directing a funeral procession into Green Acres — about 200 yards from the funeral home — when Vaughn drove a Buick sedan into the left lane of 80, past vehicles in the procession and into Hollingsworth, court documents showed.

Vaughn was convicted in Warren County Circuit Court in 2005. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 15 years to serve and five years on post-release supervision.

Prosecutors said Vaughn was under the influence of the drug Ecstasy when his car slammed into the deputy, according to the court record.

Vaughn did not testify at his trial.

Hollingsworth was knocked in the air in the collision, fell on his head and suffered brain trauma that resulted in a two-week coma followed by six weeks in Jackson hospitals. Following an outpouring of community support for the deputy and his family, he was able to return to duty at the Sheriff’s Department about seven months after the collision.

He was initially limited to light duty but returned to the road in 2006, according to Sheriff Martin Pace.

Hollingsworth and family members were in the courtroom when Vaughn was sentenced but have refused to comment on the case.

On appeal, Vaughn contended that the trial judge erred in allowing into evidence blood samples taken after the accident. Vaughn claimed he did not consent to the blood samples.

Appeals Judge William H. Myers, writing Tuesday for the Appeals Court, said the trial court record clearly showed police had reason to believe Vaughn had committed a crime at the time of the accident, and his arrest was proper.

“Police had probable cause to believe he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol due to his behavior at the scene,” Myers said.

Myers said Vaughn’s blood needed to be tested quickly in order to preserve the evidence of drugs or alcohol in his system. Therefore, Myers said the taking of the blood samples was legal.