When police respond to a car accident, they may investigate the scene and possibly charge one or more parties with a crime. After a recent car accident in Tennessee, police found cause to charge one of the car accident participants. The woman was charged with a myriad of charges, including DUI charges.
The 35-year-old woman was driving when she reportedly crossed the center line of the road. She hit a Ford Explorer that was in the opposite lane. This caused the other vehicle to hit a guardrail and then to flip over and land on its roof. Both of the occupants in the Explorer needed medical attention after the car accident.
Police said the woman’s eyes showed signs of impairment. They also said she was not able to focus on the conversation they were having with her. She admitted to taking a number of prescription drugs, and police said she did not perform well on the field sobriety tests that were administered. She was charged with a felony charge of reckless endangerment and aggravated assault in addition to the DUI charge.
When one faces DUI charges after an accident, there may be more possible penalties than just for DUI. In Tennessee, a DUI charge can result in loss of a driver’s license, high fines and possible jail time. Penalties also increase if there are any other DUI convictions on someone’s record. It is important for anyone arrested for DUI to understand the rights and the possible penalties to which a DUI charge can lead.
Source: timesnews.net, "THP: DUI driver triggers head-on Kingsport crash", Rain Smith, Aug. 14, 2014