A 52-year-old male motorist is facing drunk driving charges as well as an accusation of aggravated involuntary manslaughter in connection with an accident that resulted in the death of a couple who were residents of Ashburn, Virginia. The couple was riding together on a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the early hours of a Sunday morning when they were hit by the motorist, who was driving a BMW sedan.
Police claimed that the driver, also a resident of Ashburn, Virginia, was intoxicated. Documents later filed in the case asserted that a breath test administered by police at the scene of the accident registered a .223 blood alcohol level and that a later test returned a .15 result, both well above the legal limit of .08. Arrest records stated that the driver emitted an odor of alcohol and was unsteady as well as exhibiting slurred speech. The report also claimed that the driver admitted to consuming five glasses of wine before the accident.
DUI charges, especially those involving serious injuries or death, can lead to life altering consequences in the event of a conviction, including incarceration, fines, and the loss of driving privileges, as well as often collateral consequences such as damage to reputation, loss of employment, or other similar things. DUI charges can sometimes be defeated by challenging the validity of breath or blood tests based on malfunctioning or improperly calibrated equipment, or the failure of police or lab personnel to follow mandated procedures, such as maintaining the chain of custody of samples. With so much at stake for the accused, it is important to get an experienced criminal defense attorney involved at the earliest possible stage of the proceedings.
Source:
NBC Washington, “Virginia Man Charged With DUI, Manslaughter in Crash That Killed Two on Motorcycle” No Author Given, Oct. 08, 2013
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