Results tagged “dui accident” from DUI Lawyers & Attorneys News

John Raynor, a 44-year-old man from Montville, New Jersey, was arrested last Thursday after allegedly crashing his 2008 Honda Accord into the playground of Valley View School. Fortunately, no children were present at the time of the crash.

The officers who responded say that Raynor acted violently, punching and kicking his vehicle, and that Raynor resisted arrest, threatened to kill the responding officers, and spit on one of them. Further investigation later found that Raynor was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

After subduing Raynor, police transported him to St. Clare's Hospital in Denville, and later to Morris County Jail. Raynor remains in jail in lieu of $25,000 bail on charges of threats to kill, aggravated assault, driving while under the influence in a school zone, resisting arrest, reckless driving, and driving without insurance.

If you've been charged with drunk driving, find a DUI defense attorney in your area by clicking here.

 

 

In Cleveland, Ohio, 46 year old George Gilbert Sr. has been accused of drunk driving, having an unsafe vehicle and violating the speed limit. 

Prior to having criminal charges filed against him, Gilbert had been driving a disabled car when a police car crashed into him.  At the time of the accident, police discovered that Gilbert's blood alcohol concentration was .149.

Gilbert has a long list of traffic citations in Cleveland.  However, he had never been charged with driving under the influence before. 

On November 22nd, Patrolman John Cotner was driving 73 MPH in a 60 MPH zone.  He was accused of driving too closely to Gilbert, which supposedly led to the collision near Ohio 176.

According to other reports, Gilbert had run out of gas so he was pushing his vehicle to the side of the highway when Cotner hit him.  The forceful impact threw Gilbert out of his shoes and he landed in the direct path of his rolling car, which ran over his leg.  Later, he had to have his lower right leg amputated.

If you have been charged with drunk driving, click here to find a DUI defense lawyer!

In Illinois, a woman by the name of Melissa Weiser recently pled guilty to 32 counts of driving under the influence (DUI).  Weiser is 28 years old and was sentenced to a prison term of 20 years by a Clinton County Court judge.

According to police, Weiser was drunk driving when she ran a stop sign and struck a SUV last may in north Clinton County.  The DUI accident led to the death of four people as well as the injuries of five individuals.  One of the individuals that was killed during the accident was Weiser's former fiancé, Chaz Sergeant.  He was 21 years old at the time of his death.

When police arrived at the scene of the accident, they asked Weiser to perform a breath test.  The test revealed that her breath alcohol concentration was well over the legal limit. 

John Hudspeth, Clinton County States Attorney, said that he wanted the 20 year prison sentence because Weiser had three prior driving on a suspended license convictions and five prior no insurance convictions.  Other than those offenses, Weiser had no criminal history. 

At this time, Weiser remains in police custody and expected to start serving her sentence immediately.

If you have been charged with driving under the influence, click here to find a DUI lawyer!

In Lexington, Kentucky, one person was killed during an accident in Henry County on Sunday evening. 

According to reports, a man by the name of Esteban Valasquez was driving under the influence when he caused a DUI accident.  Later, he was arrested by police for DUI and manslaughter.

Police report that Valasquez had been driving south on I-71 near exit 34 at 11 PM when he suddenly lost control of his car.  His vehicle than spun off the road and drove into a support beam for a bridge.  Valasquez's passenger was thrown from the car and instantly killed.
Instead of waiting for police, Valasquez tried to get away.  However, he was found later and charged with DUI and vehicular manslaughter. 

At this time, the name of the victim has not been made public.

If you have been charged with DUI, click here to find a DUI defense attorney near you!

 

Dunedin, Florida -- local news sources are reporting that a Sheriff's Deputy from Pinellas county was recently charged with driving under the influence (DUI) after causing a collision.

Reports filed with the sheriff's office state that Wade Nordby, who is 41 years of age, happened to be off duty when the incident occurred on Tuesday.  During the morning hours, Nordby crashed his motor vehicle into a concrete barrier, which led to his vehicle rolling over.  A passenger that had been riding with Nordby sustained minor injuries during the accident.

When police arrived at the scene of the collision, they noticed that Nordgy was staggering and that he reeked of alcohol.  They asked Nordby to take a breath alcohol test and his BAC was .166%, more than twice the state's legal limit of 0.08%.

After he failed the breath test, Nordby was arrested by officers for DUI and later released on $250 bail.  The sheriff's office told reporters that it has plans to conduct an internal investigation in the near future.

If you have been charged with Florida DUI, click here to locate a DUI defense attorney in your county.

A New Jersey man caused a car accident on February 15, 2010 when he struck a parked car and overturned his own. Both cars were towed due to extensive damage and the man was arrested with a charge of drunk driving and operating a vehicle under the influence. It is reported by the local police that the man blew a .19 on the breathalyzer, double the legal limit. He suffered minor injuries, but was treated and now has been summoned to court for also having no insurance.

Drunk driving accidents can have serious consequences on someone's life. If you are charged with drunk driving, you may be facing jail time, heavy fines, community service time, alcohol education classes and much more depending on the case. You do have options when you are charged with a drunk driving accident, and you do have defenses that may pertain to your case.

You should work with a DUI defense attorney who can guide you through the process of resolving your drunk driving accident case. A defense lawyer will know what to expect with your case and how to properly handle it. Furthermore, an attorney will work with the courts and prosecutors to settle this matter in the best way possible. Please contact a DUI defense lawyer today to begin discussing your case and moving forward with your life. 

In Clinton, Tennessee, police are reporting that a woman has been charged with shooting her husband.  They say that after shooting her spouse, she drove under the influence (DUI) while attempting to get him medical help at a nearby hospital.  However, instead of making it to the hospital, she ended up in a car wreck.

The woman, 33 year old Erica Hopper, was placed in police custody at the Anderson County Jail where she was held till yesterday.  Her husband, Charles James Hopper II, is in stable condition and is currently being treated at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

Reports indicate that Mrs. Hopper got into a car accident on Sunday morning.  When police arrived at the scene of the car wreck, they were unaware that Mr. Hopper had a gunshot wound, but learned that his wife had shot him once Mr. Hopper was at the hospital.

At this time, Mrs. Hopper has been charged with DUI, aggravated assault and several other criminal offenses.  Her bail has been set at $6,000 and it is unclear whether or not she has obtained legal representation.

Charged with DUI in Tennessee?  Click here to find a skilled DUI defense attorney!

In Hayward, California, police report that two people are dead and one is critically injured.  They say that the individuals were inside of a car that crashed into a semi-truck.

According to Alameda County Sheriff's spokesman, J.D. Nelson, deputies had tried to pull the car over at 1 AM on Wednesday after they saw that the operator of the vehicle was driving erratically.

Nelson claims that the car ran a red light and then crashed into the back-end of a Safeway semi-truck.  The car then crashed into a nearby building.  After the accident, two people were reported dead and one critically injured. 

Law enforcement said that the driver of the car was on parole for carjacking and drug charges.  Both he and another passenger inside the car incurred minor injuries.   Their identities have not been released.

If you are facing DUI accident charges, click here to find a DUI defense attorney!

On Friday, a man from Ohio is due in court for driving under the influence (DUI) charges for the third time.  According to reports, the man had already served 10 years in prison and had permanently lost his driver's license after killing a police officer in 1994.

Sunday, police officers received a call from a store customer who reported that a man appeared to be intoxicated.  Inspector William Holland of the Summit County Sheriff's Department said, "They went and attempted to block this person in, the driver got in the car, maneuvered around the citizen's car and took off driving."

After the incident occurred, the customer followed the erratic driver to a nearby home and then phone police.  When police arrived, they found 47 year old Gregory Gordon behind the wheel.  Gordon killed police officer George Knaff in 1994 when he ran through a stop sign and crashed into Officer Knaff's vehicle.

In 2006, Gordon was charged with DUI, making this his send DUI offense since his release from prison.  Sources say that Officer Knaff's family is infuriated that Gordon is still able to drink and drive. 

Knaff's cousin said,  "I think he should be locked up again, and all this crap about remorse and treatment while he was in prison, that didn't do no good, it didn't do no good ... it's 15 years later."

Police have charged Gordon with DUI, driving under suspension and refusing to take a breathalyzer test. 

Have you been charged with multiple DUI offenses?  If so, click here to find a DUI defense attorney near you!

 

In Skokie, Illinois, a man is facing driving under the influence of drugs and intent to deliver charges.  The man was arrested by police in Evanston after he caused a DUI accident that led to five people being injured. 

Police say that the man had been driving a Pontiac G6 sedan on Ridge Avenue.  He ran a red light and hit a Nissan Altima that was heading west on Davis Street.  Three people in the Pontiac, including the driver, and two people inside the Altima had to be taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.  Police say that after the crash, the man operating the Pontiac continued to drive.  He eventually hit and knocked down a traffic pole.

26 year old Anthony Jackson was later revealed to be the DUI offender.  Police report that he was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs when the accident occurred.  Jackson was charged with DUI, possession of a controlled substance and intent to deliver.  Police also issued him with traffic citations for disobeying a traffic control device, failure to reduce speed and avoid an accident, damage to city property, negligent driving and driving without a seatbelt.

After the accident, Jackson was subjected to tests to see which drugs were in his system.

If you have been charged with DUI in Illinois, click here to find a skilled DUI defense lawyer!

The Missouri Department of Transportation is launching a new anti-DUI campaign in the hope of raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol-impaired driving.

The "You Drive & Drive. You Lose." campaign kicked off on August 19.  As part of the campaign, roadside memorial signs will be posted at locations where a person was killed in a drunk driving accident.

The memorial signs read "Drunk Driving Victim!" and include the victim's initials and the month and year they were killed.  Displayed on the bottom of the sign are the words "Think About It!"

The signs are available by request of the victim's family, and must be paid for by the family.

The campaign is part of new legislation that takes effect August 28.  The legislation, called David's Law, is named after David Poenicke, who was killed when he was hit by a drunk driver.

Both the campaign and David's law come at a time when driving under the influence continues to be problem in Missouri.  In 2008 alone more than 260 people were killed and over 1,110 people were seriously injured in an accident involving an impaired driver.  Approximately 3,400 people suffered minor injuries. 

For more information, contact a DUI lawyer in your area.

Cleveland Browns' wide receiver, Donte Stallworth, has been suspended for the remainder of the 2009 National Football League season.  28 year old Stallworth was placed on suspension after he killed a pedestrian while driving drunk.  Rager Goodell, NFL Commissioner, told Stallworth that he would not be allowed to play this season and would not receive any pay because he violated the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policies for his criminal acts.

In a letter to Stallworth, Goodell wrote, "There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family."

On March 14tth, Stallworth was drinking at a hotel bar near Miami Beach.  He then decided to drive his Bentley while under the influence of alcohol.  That day, he crashed into and killed 59 year old Mario Reyes, a Florida construction worker.  When police arrived, they performed a breath test on Stallworth, who had a blood alcohol concentration of .126.  In the state of Florida, the legal limit is 0.08.

This June, Stallworth pled guilty to manslaughter while driving under the influence.  He was sentenced with 30 days of jail time, 2 years house arrest, 8 years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. 

If you have been charged with DUI in Miami, click here to find a Florida DUI defense attorney!

A 15-year-old Florida girl has been arrested after causing a fatal DUI accident that left a 16-year-old boy dead.

If convicted, Karina Campbell could face up to 15 years in jail.  Not only was she under the legal age to be driving, which is 16, but she also had a blood alcohol concentration of .165, twice the legal limit for adult licensed drivers.  Drivers under the age of 21 are not permitted to drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system. 

Campbell also did not have a valid driver's license, and did not appear to be genuinely remorseful about the accident. In addition, according to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, Campbell was driving around 70 mph in a 30-mph zone.

This case should call attention to whether or not Florida lawmakers should enforce stricter DUI laws and penalties for those who cause serious or fatal DUI accidents.  The issue comes to light after NFL wide receiver Dante Stallworth was sentenced to just 30 days in jail after he pled guilty to killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.

For more information about underage DUI offenders and fatal DUI accidents, click here to find a DUI attorney in your area.

A U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas has pled guilty to driving under the influence, and act that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old girl.

Defense attorneys for Edison Bayas, 37, say he is taking full responsibility for the death of Valerie Talamantes, who was killed on impact when he crashed into the rear of her car as she sat waiting at a red light. 

The defense claims Bayas was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when the crash took place.  Bayas' attorneys also asked the jury to take into account that Bayas has served two tours in Iraq, and that he was having a flashback at the time of the accident.

But District Attorney Jaime Esparza, who is prosecuting the case, urged the jury to protect the safety of the community and send a message.

At the time of the crash, Bayas has a blood alcohol concentration of .27, nearly three times the legal limit, and was traveling no less than 60 miles per hour when he collided with Talamantes.

Bayas stands to face two to twenty years in prison.

For more information about DUI vehicular manslaughter, please click here to find a DUI attorney near you.

In Seaford, Delaware, a man was recently charged with driving under the influence (DUI) for the 4th time.  Keith N. Truitt, 34 years old, was arrested after leading police on a chase that ended when he crashed his vehicle into another car.

Once police managed to apprehend Truitt, they placed him under arrest for felony DUI, assaulting a police officer, offensive touching, driving after judgment prohibited and a variety of other traffic violations.  He was the held in the Sussex Correctional Institution as he was unable to arrange for bail.   

Police report that the DUI arrest occurred at 3:15 PM yesterday.  Police noticed that Truitt was driving erratically while they were investigating an assault complaint on Cedar Street.  When they noticed Truitt, they attempted to make him stop his car, but he continued to drive while police chased close behind. 

Truitt did not stop driving until he ran a stop sign, collided with a minivan and eventually lost control of his vehicle.   He managed to slide through a homeowner's lawn and cut a telephone pole in half while trying to evade police.  Once Truitt crashed, he attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was caught by police.  He then persisted to fight officers and even struck one policeman in the face before he was handcuffed.

Immediately following the struggle, Truitt was taken into custody.  Investigations later revealed that he had been driving under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.

Click here to find an experienced DUI attorney near you!

In Spring Hill, Florida, police are reporting that a woman bared her chest to officers after they stopped her for DUI.  She also bared her chest to a suspect who had crashed head-on into a car that had been parked. 

The story began when one of the police department's deputies was asked to investigate multiple reports of reckless driving by the intersection of Cortex Boulevard and Commercial Way.  When the deputy arrived at the scene, he noticed that traffic had been traveling around a black Mercedes which was parked in the middle of the intersection.  As the deputy stepped out of his vehicle,  he noticed that the Mercedes was in reverse gear.

The deputy yelled for the driver to "stop", but the Mercedes continued in reverse and crashed into the officer's front bumper.  The Mercedes driver, 49 year old Tina Lopez, then stepped out of the vehicle and proceeded to grab the deputy's arm many times so that she could maintain her balance. 

Aside from being unbalanced, Lopez showed other signs of being under the influence, so she was asked to perform field sobriety tests.  She failed each test and was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI.  The deputy was waiting for back up when Lopez proceeded to show her chest. 

After back up arrived, Lopez was taken to county jail and was charged with DUI and property damage - DUI.  She had a blood alcohol concentration of .111%, which is much higher than the state's legal limit of .08%.

If you have been charged with DUI in Florida, click here to find a skilled DUI defense attorney!

In Dundalk, Maryland, a man was placed under arrest last night for driving under the influence (DUI).  The man, 37 year old Michael Polanowski, was arrested after he struck a Maryland state trooper with his car.  The state trooper, Tpr. Rosenfeld, was issuing a ticket and standing on Interstate 695 at Perring Parkway when he was hit by Polanowski.

Tpr. Rosenfeld was rushed to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center shortly after the accident.  Police report that he was released late last night from the medical facility.

Yesterday, at 7:30 PM, Polanowski was driving on the 7900 block of Diehlwood Road.  He was driving in his 2005 Nissan when he drifted into the shoulder where Tpr. Rosefeld was standing.  Polanowski hit both Rosenfeld and the 1998 Hyundai that the trooper had pulled over to issue a traffic citation.

Police report that Rosenfeld was the only person that had been injured during the accident. 

Polanowski is currently being held in the Baltimore County Detention Center on $10,000 bail.

Click here to find a Baltimore DUI lawyer!

In Mays Landing, New York, 31 year old Allen Henry Miller was sentenced to 5 years of jail time for a DUI accident he caused in 2006.  During the devastating accident, Miller crashed into a postal carrier, which led to the loss of both of her legs and also her eyesight.

This past December, Miller, who is a resident of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty to charges of aggravated assault and driving under the influence (DUI) in July of 2006.  The postal worker, Maureen DePrince, was the only person that was critically injured during the drunk driving crash.

At the time of the accident, Miller's motor vehicle crashed into DePrince and pinned her between her postal service truck and his car, which led to the instant severing of one of her legs.  DePrince was rushed to the hospital where they doctors had no choice but to amputate her other leg.  She lost her vision from shock and severe blood loss from her catastrophic injuries.

Miller had his hearing this past Thursday.  At the hearing, he took time to apologize to DePrince, who told him that she has lost everything she once held dear because of his negligent actions.

If you have been charged with DUI in New York, click here to find a DUI defense attorney!

A Tennessee woman has been indicted on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI for causing an accident that resulted in the death of Jackie Dunavant, the wife of 25th Judicial District Attorney Gen. Mike Dunavant.

Melody D. Caldwell, 36, was arraigned Wednesday before Lauderdale County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Walker, where she was charged with vehicular manslaughter due to intoxication and vehicular homicide due to reckless conduct and DUI.

According to police reports, Caldwell was driving Dunavant's 2005 Lexus around 11 p.m. on Oct. 4 when the car swerved off and on the road before skidding across the highway and ultimately flipping and landing on its top.  Dunavant died at the scene.

According the report it was believed that both women had been drinking alcohol before getting into the car.

Two days after the accident, Mike Dunavant released the following statement, "I have complete faith in the Highway Patrol in the thorough investigation into Jackie's death."

Mike Dunavant, whose district includes the county where Jackie was killed, will not be prosecuting the case.  Instead, prosecutor Robert "Gus" Radford will serve as district attorney general pro tem.

For more information about DUI, click here to find a DUI lawyer in your state. 

If a Super Bowl party is in your plans this weekend, make sure you designate a driver to stay sober. Numerous police precincts across the country plan to increase the number of officers on patrol this weekend to target drunk drivers.

In Las Vegas, traffic officers from various precincts will be joining forces starting Friday to catch DUI offenders.  The Henderson Police Department will team up with officers from the Nevada Highway Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Boulder City Police, and Mesquite Police to patrol the streets in pursuit of drunk drivers.

In Minnesota, state troopers form the Detroit Lakes and Theft River Falls districts have both said they will be out in force looking for people driving under the influence. 

According the Minnesota State Patrol, during the Super Bowl weekends in 2006-2008, 1,470 motorists were arrested for DWI, and alcohol-related crashes were accountable for five of the seven deaths that occurred.  

Police officers from both Nevada and Minnesota agree that although they want people to enjoy the Super Bowl and have fun, it's important to take the necessary measures to ensure everyone gets home safely.

For more information about DWI & DUI, click here to find a DUI/DWI attorney near you.