DUI: Serious Injury Story
One man made the unfortunate decision to drive under the influence. As he was heading home after a night of drinking, his vehicle collided with a woman who darted in his direction. The woman was seriously injured after the hit and required immediate medical assistance. 911 was called to take the victim to a nearby hospital, where she would later slip into a coma. Police arrived at the scene to investigate the scene, where a witness claims the victim did run towards the driver’s car.
An officer approached the driver to give him a blood test where he tested twice over the limit.
The officer at the scene charged the driver with DUI causing serious bodily injury, which carries a sentence of 5 years maximum. The driver scored 4 years in Florida State Prison due to the serious nature of injuries.
The driver took issue with this, because according to him, he did not cause the accident. However, the detective argued that under Florida law, if the jury or judge discovered that the driver could have avoided the accident- even by one percent- he is still responsible for the entire accident as far as the criminal statute goes.
Since the judge and jury will know he drove his car while impaired, they will unlikely show sympathy, and the driver would face over 4 years in state prison.
Most drivers in this situation feel as though they should catch a break, or that they are not criminals, but Florida disagrees. Drinking under the influence is a serious crime that can possibly result in a death and will grant you a criminal record which can have serious ramifications on your life and the suspension of your driver’s license. Regardless of how you fare in court, the lesson is to NEVER drink and drive.
