Being involved in a motor vehicle accident is one way that some people who are allegedly driving drunk are caught. The Hillsville, Virginia, town manager learned that lesson when she was involved in a single-car crash early on the morning of Nov. 16, 2014 along I-77. Her Volvo SUV ran off the road and hit an embankment, which caused front-end damage.
When the trooper arrived, he noted a strong smell of alcohol. She said that she had two glasses of wine. When a blood-alcohol concentration test was performed at the sheriff’s office, her BAC was .11, which was higher than the .08 legal limit in Virginia.
In her court hearing, the 24-year-old woman was found guilty of reckless driving. She was initially charged with DUI and failure to update her license. For the conviction of reckless driving, the woman was fined $1,500, plus she has to pay $86 in court costs. She received 90 days in jail that was suspended, 40 hours of community service and a year of probation.
This woman was able to get her DUI charge amended to a reckless driving charge. The prosecution declined to prosecute her on the charge relating to updating her license. While this type of outcome isn’t guaranteed in every DUI case, it is important for people facing drunk driving charges to know that charges are sometimes amended.
When you are facing DUI charges, you should make sure you understand how a conviction might affect you. Learn about the possible sentences and learn about your options for handling your defense so you can determine your course of action.
Source: The Carroll News, “Hillsville town manager’s DUI reduced to reckless driving,” Millie Rothrock, May 29, 2015
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