According to a local news station, an Ohio man who had his license suspended after a fatal accident in which he was allegedly intoxicated has been driving. In March, the station reported that the man drove down the street where he lives and pulled into the driveway. When questioned, the man denied that he was driving.
The man, who was referred to by the local news station as a repeat drunk driving offender, was due to be sentenced in the accident case on March 21. However, although a woman involved in the accident died, the man is not being charged in her death. In January, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
The accident occurred in 2014 when the man ran into the woman’s car. Although the coroner initially said that she died from injuries sustained in the crash, more than a year later, he changed the death certificate to indicate that the woman died of cancer. Although the man had been facing charges of vehicular homicide, those charges were subsequently dropped. A state representative has introduced a bill that will require court approval before a coroner can make such a change in the death certificate.
Even when drunk driving does not lead to a fatal crash, the consequences could be severe. In addition to legal penalties, DUI charges could impact an individual’s personal life and career. However, there might be a number of defenses available as well. For example, a Breathalyzer test might be improperly administered. An individual’s rights might be violated in the course of the traffic stop or while being taken into custody, and this could lead to the case’s dismissal.
Source: ABC 6, “Repeated drunk driver with suspended license caught behind the wheel“, Terri Sullivan, March 21,2017
