A male Virginia motorist was recently sentenced to a total of four years in prison after he was convicted of drunk driving and other charges arising out of an accident earlier this year in which his car smashed head-on into a party bus. The sentence included a year for intoxicated driving, four years for reckless endangerment, and a 30-day sentence for driving while having a revoked license. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a maximum term of four years of incarceration.
The motorist reportedly was driving a pickup truck on a highway in the early morning hours while in an intoxicated condition. There were 24 people riding in the bus that he hit. Following the collision with the bus, another vehicle also struck his pickup truck. The impact of the collision resulted in a total of 17 people being injured and rushed to local hospitals for treatment.
Prosecutors asserted that the pickup truck the motorist was operating belonged to a farmer he formerly worked for, and that he lacked consent to use the truck at the time of the accident. The four-year sentence was issued following a plea agreement in which the driver pled guilty to certain charges, while two other charges, including an accusation of unauthorized use of the pickup truck, were dropped.
DUI convictions, especially those in accidents involving injuries or deaths, often result in harsh sentences, fines, and loss of driving privileges. In some instances, having a DUI conviction on your record can result in other negative consequences, including loss of a job or difficulty in finding new employment. Because of the possible penalties, you should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible if you are charged with a DUI in order to make sure that every possible avenue of defense or mitigation of the charges is explored.
Source:
Bismarck Tribune, “Man who crashed into party bus sentenced to four years” Hannah Johnson, Aug. 08, 2013
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