Whenever an accident that leads to criminal charges, those charges may be upgraded or altered depending on certain circumstances. One example that may result in one or multiple offense charges being upgraded is if a victim of an accident dies. One recent Tennessee accident has made news as a man hit a buggy, resulting in injuries to a girl. Since the girl has succumbed to her injuries, one or more of the multiple offenses may now be upgraded.
The accident happened on a Tuesday as a 28-year-old man was driving a van. He crashed into the buggy driven by a 50-year-old man who had a 13-year-old female passenger inside. The man then drove further until the van stopped.
After the van stopped, the man fled on foot, and police captured him. Authorities believed the man was intoxicated; however, there was no reason stated why they held that belief. The man faces multiple charges, including DUI, vehicle assault, failure to render aid, leaving the scene and other charges. The death of the 13-year-old may lead to further or upgraded charges.
With any incident that leads to multiple offense charges --with DUI being one of those charges -- the consequences can include high fines, probation and possible jail time. In this case, where charges may be upgraded due to the death of a victim, the charges can impact the driver's life in a multitude of ways, including a possible felony record. Anyone in Tennessee facing charges that include multiple offenses should explore defense options and be aware of what the possible penalties may be for each offense; the accused may also want to determine if any offenses can be dismissed or downgraded based on the facts of the case.
Source: wrcbtv.com, "UPDATE: Teen passenger in horse-drawn buggy crash succumbs to injuries", Ken Nicholson, Dec. 30, 2015