A 39-year-old resident of Dumfries, Virginia, has been charged with drunk driving. A Stafford County sheriff’s deputy claimed to have observed the man’s car swerving within it its lane as well as occasionally deviating into an adjoining lane. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. when the deputy stopped the car on U.S. 1 after it allegedly veered in and out of the same lane in which the deputy was travelling.
The arrest report stated that the man’s two young sons, ages two and four, were in the vehicle at the time. The deputy claimed that there were no child car seats in the vehicle, and that while the 2-year-old had a seatbelt on, the 4-year-old did not.
The deputy also claimed that he could detect a strong alcohol odor emanating from the driver, whose eyes he described as bloodshot. He also reported that the driver admitted having no license, could produce no other identification, and was unable to successfully pass a field sobriety test that was given to him.
In addition to DWI, the driver was charged with unlicensed driving, child neglect, failing to stay in his lane and failing to properly secure a child under the age of eight. Identity theft and providing an officer with a false identity were also among the charges filed.
Another family member was summoned to the scene to take charge of the two children. Charges such as this can lead to serious consequences for a motorist, including heavy fines and significant jail time. When combined with accusations of child neglect, they could also possibly have an adverse impact on child custody. Persons facing drunk driving charges, especially when other accusation are also made, need to quickly retain an experienced criminal defense attorney to explore available avenues of defense or mitigation of the charges.
Source:
insidenova.com, “Dumfries father charged with driving drunk with young sons” No Author Given, Jun. 19, 2013
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