Over the Memorial Day holiday, law enforcement agencies throughout Tennessee launched a campaign to keep the roads safe. During that time, there were 41 accidents, and 10 people were arrested and could face DUI charges. One of those crashes involved three cars and one fatality.
Police have accused a 23-year-old woman of driving under the influence. Officials believe she was impaired when she was allegedly driving in the eastbound lanes as she headed west. Reports indicate that her vehicle sideswiped one vehicle and then ran head-on into a third vehicle. The driver of the third vehicle, a 60-year-old man, suffered fatal injuries in the crash to which he succumbed at a local hospital.
The alleged wrong-way driver survived, but suffered injuries for which she was taken to a hospital in the Knoxville area. Authorities did not reveal why they believed the woman was intoxicated at the time of the accident. The investigation is not yet complete, and investigators will need to provide Tennessee prosecutors with evidence to support any charges contemplated before the woman can be officially charged.
If she has not done so already, the woman is likely focused on engaging criminal defense counsel before any DUI charges -- or other charges -- are filed. The first order of business will be to ensure that the woman's rights are protected throughout the process. It is not only the evidence that needs to be reviewed, but also the procedures taken by officers at the scene of the accident. Furthermore, as the investigation progresses, her criminal defense team can begin preparing a defense to any potential charges.
Source: wbir.com, "Woman killed in DUI-related Memorial Day weekend crash", Mark Bergin, June 1, 2016