At approximately 7:30 p.m. on a recent Thursday, police were called to the scene of a single-vehicle accident. Upon arrival, they discovered a Tennessee woman and her three children -- ages 2, 6 and 7 -- who were, thankfully, uninjured. Officials say that, depending on the results of a toxicology test, the mother of three could face DUI charges.
Preliminary reports indicate that the woman somehow lost control of the vehicle. It then left the road, crashed into a mailbox and a fence. The vehicle finally came to a stop in the front yard of a residence within inches of the home. Officers at the scene claim to have smelled alcohol on the driver and that her speech was slurred.
She submitted to field sobriety tests, which officers claim indicated that she could be impaired. Because there were children in the car, a mandatory blood sample was taken to determine whether she was intoxicated. The sample was sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for analysis. Depending on those results, a charge of driving under the influence could be added to the current charges she faces, which include driving on a suspended license and reckless endangerment.
Even if the results of the toxicology test appear to warrant the addition of DUI charges, prosecutors will need to prove to the court beyond a reasonable doubt that she is guilty. Her criminal defense team will have the opportunity to not only review the evidence prosecutors intend to present in court, but also the processes by which the evidence was gathered and analyzed. If there was a violation of current policies and procedures at any point, the charges might not stand.
Source: smokeybarn.com, "Driver Faces DUI Charges After Crash With Kids In Vehicle", June 17, 2016