All across the country, authorities are cracking down on drunk driving. Because of this, Virginia drivers who are charged with drunk driving may have a difficult time fighting these charges without the proper defense strategy in place. A Virginia Beach man is now facing a DUI charge and various other charges after a car accident that left one man dead.
A local police officer attempted to stop the man’s SUV after he allegedly saw the vehicle breaking various traffic laws. The SUV did not come to a stop right away, so the officer continued to pursue the vehicle. The SUV proceeded hit a van, which crashed into a third vehicle in another lane. The SUV flipped over and caught on fire and the driver was ejected from the vehicle.
The driver of the van was killed, but fortunately officers managed to get two passengers out of the SUV. The passengers were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. The third vehicle was minimally damaged and no one else was injured.
Authorities believe that alcohol and speeding may have played a role in the accident. The 27-year-old man is now facing a variety of charges, including DUI maiming, first offense DUI, refusal, driving on a suspended license, failure to wear a seatbelt and felony eluding. The investigation is ongoing.
In cases like these, it is important to know what defenses can be used to protect drivers facing DUI charges. Some of the best defenses involve poking holes in the investigative procedures used by police officers at the scene of the incident. One common defense is to say that the officer lacked probable cause to stop the vehicle in the first place and that it was an improper stop. Another common defense is to address whether the officer properly administered all sobriety tests at the scene. By using such defenses, drivers charged with drunk driving have a much better chance of walking away from the incident with no serious consequences.
Source: Daily Press, “Virginia Beach: Police charge man in fatal Sunday night crash,” Tyra M. Vaughn, Jan. 6, 2014