Posted By Law Office of Melvin L. Vatz || 3-Sep-2015
One man in Pennsylvania will face several years in prison after authorities said he caused a fatal drunken driving accident last year. The man is a repeat intoxicated driver. A court panel on a recent Friday rejected claims by the man that he was being punished too harshly for his crime, instead describing the behavior that led to his criminal charges and conviction as extraordinarily reckless.
Police reported that the accident took place when the 34-year-old man was driving over 65 mph in an area where the speed limit was 35 mph. The man was quickly moving in and out of the traffic on a street and was able to dodge a vehicle that was slowing down. However, he ended up colliding with an oncoming vehicle that a woman was driving.
The woman driver suffered serious injuries in the crash; meanwhile, her daughter, 24, ended up being killed. The man’s son, 7, who was riding in the front seat of the car he was driving, also suffered serious injuries in the wreck. At the time of the crash, the man’s driver’s license had been suspended because of a previous conviction on DUI charges. In addition, his blood alcohol content was almost double the legal limit. The man pleaded guilty to several charges, including aggravated assault and homicide by vehicle as well as reckless endangerment.
If a person faces serious criminal charges, in some cases, the potential evidence suggests that he or she should pursue plea agreement negotiations. If available, this might lead to a sentence that is more lenient. Otherwise, the accused individual may go straight to trial to fight the charges with proper legal guidance in Pennsylvania.
Source: pennlive.com, “Pa. court backs ‘extraordinarily reckless’ DUI driver’s 19- to 38-year prison term for fatal crash”, Matt Miller, Aug. 28, 2015
Categories: Criminal Defense