Charges for driving while intoxicated can be especially serious when filed alongside other criminal allegations. A man in Louisiana is currently facing multiple charges for what authorities describe as a drunk driving accident. Two people — including the driver — were injured in the wreck, and another was killed.
Police believe that the 25-year-old man was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck. Reports indicate that he was driving his pickup truck eastbound on an area highway when he veered across the center yellow line and into oncoming traffic. He collided head-on with a westbound vehicle carrying two people. The pickup truck driver suffered only moderate injuries in the wreck, and the driver of the westbound vehicle reported minor injuries. However, the 16-year-old passenger in the second vehicle apparently suffered life-threatening injuries and had to be transported to the hospital, where he died about two weeks after the wreck.
Responding officers suspected that the pickup driver might have been under the influence while behind the wheel and requested that he submit to a breath test. The results allegedly indicated he had a blood-alcohol content that was almost two times higher than the .08 percent legal limit. He was later arrested and booked on multiple criminal charges.
In addition to DWI, the driver also faces at least one count of reckless operation and three for vehicular negligent injuring. Vehicular homicide was added to the list of charges following the passenger’s recent death. While some in Louisiana might feel resigned to the potential consequences of these charges, the impact can be minimized. Careful and timely planning can help defendants facing drunk driving charges develop the best possible defense strategies for their unique situations.
Source: kplctv.com, “Driver charged with vehicular homicide, DWI in crash that killed 16-year-old“, Hannah Daigle, Sept. 21, 2017