Articles Tagged with drunk driving accident attorney

A sports bar in Rockville, Maryland is slated to surrender its license and permanently shutter its doors after it allegedly over-served a customer who then got in a vehicle and crashed it, killing an on-duty police officer from Montgomery County. beergarden

Twenty-four-year-old Officer Noah Leotta had volunteered that night to work for a special holiday drunk driving patrol. He suffered severe injuries when the driver, Luis Gustavo Reluzco, side-swiped the cruiser on December 3, 2016 as he was in the middle of conducting a traffic stop. Leotta died a week later of his injuries. Reluzco, 47, has admitted he was downing beers and bourbon for approximately three hours before the crash. He later pleaded guilty to a single charge of vehicular manslaughter, and is awaiting sentencing. He could receive up to three years.

Now, according to NBC-4 Washington, business administrators for the establishment that served Reluzco alcohol that night, a Hooters franchise, have agreed to close their doors and forfeit their liquor license. As it stood, the Department of Liquor Control’s Board of License Commissioners had scheduled a hearing for this month to weigh evidence in consideration of revoking the license. The restaurant simply beat the board to the punch, as the case against it was strong.  Continue reading

Law enforcement in Massachusetts say driving under the influence is a growing problem in the state, particularly when it comes to the influence of illicit and prescription drugs. pillsbrownbottle

A recent analysis by FOX 25 WFXT reveals drugged driving violations have climbed 42 percent since 2011. That’s compared to a 26 percent hike in alcohol drunk driving arrests and citations issued during the same time frame.

Although thousands of residents in the Commonwealth are legally allowed to use marijuana, there is technically no legal limit for how much is too much. Part of that has to do with the fact that there is no form of accurate testing for the drug that will reveal impairment. Regular users may have higher levels of the drug in their system, even though they aren’t impaired. Just as easily, someone might be impaired despite having lower levels of THC (the active ingredient) in their system.  Continue reading

Massachusetts state police are beefing up their patrols near highway work zones, particularly in areas with high rates of drunk driving crashes and arrests. The decision, reported by The Boston Globe, comes just days after a road construction crew was mowed down by a drunk driver for the fourth time in just 10 days. roadconstruction2

A state police spokesperson said the problem is not the layout of the road construction zones or the safety measures that are used to protect the road construction crews. Rather, the problem is that people are driving drunk and under the influence of drugs. He called these drivers’ actions “irresponsible” and “reckless,” and is a reflection of the bigger problem of impaired driving, which is amplified to some degree in construction zones, where there may be more obstacles, people working close to the roadside and somewhat unpredictable traffic patterns.

Authorities say they intend to increase patrols, and they will additionally be conducting sobriety checkpoints in and near construction zones. Federal and state grants will help to pay for these additional enforcement actions.  Continue reading

There is no question that many come to a NASCAR track to see the crashes.  However, we are normally talking about crashes that occur during the race, and as far as NASCAR tracks go, the Daytona International Speedway has had its fair share of famous crashes.  According to a recent news feature from ABC News Boston, four people were injured during the latest crash at the famous motor speedway, except this crash involved several mobile homes in infield camping area.

beersAuthorities say several motor homes and cars were seriously damaged and four people were injured when a 43-year-old Florida woman allegedly drove her pickup truck while intoxicated and crashed it into five campers and four people during a motocross event being hosted at the track. Continue reading

In what is a strange but common scene in the greater Boston area, a man is lying in his hospital bed as a defense attorney, court clerk, and even a judge in a full black robe, conduct an arraignment.  An arraignment, also known as first session in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the first court hearing for a defendant in misdemeanor and most felony cases.  This is where there is a formal reading of the charges, and the judge decides if the defendant will be held on bail or released.

1316049_untitled-300x200While it seems strange to hold court and do an arraignment in a hospital room, the actual reason for this has to do with departments not wanting to spend money that they don’t have. When a defendant is arrested, before he or she is arraigned, the police must maintain custody unless a judge or bail commission conducts an initial arraignment.  This means that police must post officers outside of the defendant’s hospital room 24 hours a day until the arraignment occurs.  Once defendant is arraigned, custody transfers to the bail officers during court and then to the county sheriff.  The police complain about paying overtime, so they get the courts to come to the hospital. Continue reading

According to a recent news feature from the Huffington Post, a 76-year-old man was arrested in 2014 on what is allegedly his 10th drunk driving charge.  While, if the allegations are true, being arrested 10 times for driving under the influence of alcohol is news enough, but that is not why this incident is making headlines.

fish-and-chips-1325534-300x225Authorities say they pulled over defendant after allegedly observing his pickup truck cross the centerline of a highway.  When they pulled him over and approached the vehicle, deputies say they immediately noticed the smell of alcohol on defendant’s breath.  At this point, officers asked him to exit the vehicle, so they could administer a set of standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs). Continue reading

According to a recent report form WCVB Boston, a 52-year-old woman has been arrested following a deadly car accident that occurred in Hannover, Massachusetts. Authorities have said defendant was operating her motor vehicle while she was under the influence of powerful prescription medication.

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Allegedly, at the time of the fatal drugged driving accident, defendant had Adderall, Xanax, Methadone, and Valium in her blood, as revealed by chemical testing. The victim of this fatal drugged driving accident was a 32-year-old nurse who was out running as part of her training for the upcoming Boston Marathon. Continue reading

According to a recent news feature from KHOU, a man convicted of drunk driving involving a fatal accident in 2012 is now working with the prosecutor who handled his case to help fight drunk driving and alcohol-related traffic accidents.

prison-1431136-mDefendant was arrested around Christmas in 2012 when he was involved in the fatal drunk driving accident. He said he had just put gas in his truck and went to his house to drink a few beers he had at home. After drinking, he got behind the wheel of the pickup, along with two friends traveling as his passengers. The man seated next to him was his best friend. Continue reading

Most drunk driving accidents involve a driver who is too intoxicated to safety drive a car. While this is certainly not excusable conduct, and could be basis for a drunk driving accident lawsuit, the drunk driver is not normally purposely trying to hurt another driver or pedestrian.

1316049_untitledHowever, there are some cases where the drunk driver is alleged to have acted with actual malice or intent when he or she is behind the wheel. According to a recent news article from ABC News 5, an alleged drunk driver has been arrested for attempted murder. Authorities say the woman allegedly rammed her minivan into a house over and over again while she was drunk. Eventually, the wall gave way and collapsed on a mother and her two minor children, who were inside the home at the time of this allegedly intentional drunk driving car crash. Continue reading

In the neighboring state of Rhode Island, a new law went into effect, which allows a judge to sentence any repeat offenders or drunk driving offenders with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than two times the legal limit to having to get a vehicle breath interlock device installed in his or her car.   This means that if the driver wants to start his or her car, he must blow into the device and show a clear reading. The device can also require the driver to blow into it whenever stopped or at certain random intervals to prove sobriety.

breathalyzer-465392-mWhile the Rhode Island law is for repeat offenders and those with extremely high BACs, the Massachusetts legislature is proposing a new law that would require vehicle breath ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of a operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs (OUI), according to an article from ABC News.   For those that are not aware, the Massachusetts uses the term OUI for what most other states call a DUI or DWI, but it is the same charge. Continue reading

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