Whenever there is a car accident of any kind and police believe alcohol may have played a role in the incident, there may be charges filed in addition to a drunk driving charge. A recent accident in Tennessee led to drunk driving charges against a female driver. It has also led to additional charges, including vehicular assault, due to the fact that a firefighter was injured at the scene of the accident.
The incident unfolded as a firefighter was assisting at the scene of a crash. The firefighter was reportedly in a safe location on the roadside and helping to protect the crews attending to the accident from oncoming traffic. This was when a car came along and hit the man.
The Tennessee woman who hit the firefighter was allegedly under the influence of alcohol. She also then left the scene of the accident, according to reports. She has since been charged with a variety of charges, including vehicular assault, leaving the scene, failure to render aid, reckless aggravated assault and the charge of driving under the influence.
The vehicular assault charge the woman faces is a felony charge in Tennessee. Felonies carry the potential for long-term effects on a person's freedom, career choices and even reputation if the charge leads to a conviction. Anyone facing any kind of felony charge in Tennessee may benefit from understanding any applicable defense options that may help them obtain a dismissal or see a reduction in charges that could lead to a reduction in possible criminal consequences.
Source: newschannel9.com, "Woman Indicted For Hitting A Chattanooga Firefighter With Her Car While Drunk", Feb. 13, 2015