Drunk Driver Crashes into Fire Truck Parked at DUI Accident
Posted in General on January 12, 2015
A 29-year-old drunk driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .18% lost control of his vehicle and struck a power pole. Electrical workers were called to the scene to repair the pole and restore electricity, and, in order to protect the workers, a fire truck was parked in a manner to shield the workers from oncoming traffic. The fire trucks overhead lights were also activated to let motorists know of the accident. Despite having the emergency lights activated and cones diverting traffic around the fire truck, a second drunk driver, this one being a 51-year-old woman, crashed into the back of the truck. The second drunk driver’s blood alcohol level was a .189%, so slightly higher than the first drunk driver. According to the article, both drivers were treated for minor injuries and then taken to jail.
Pennsylvania DUI Investigations
As a State College DUI lawyer, I take a call from at least one person suspected of driving under the influence in Centre County at least once a week. The person wonders what happened and what is going to occur. A routine State College DUI investigation includes administration of field sobriety tests, an arrest, transport via police car to the Mount Nittany Medical Center for the withdrawal of blood, and submission to fingerprinting at the processing center at the Centre County Prison. The person is then released without any paperwork and without appearing before a judge. Some people think that they may have avoided the DUI because they were not immediately charged with driving under the influence and taken to jail. In most DUI cases, the officers do not file charges immediately but instead wait for the results of the blood tests. The officers then file the appropriate DUI charges with a State College court based upon the blood test results. The court then mails the charges and other documents to the person. From the night of the arrest, it often takes at least 3 to 4 weeks before DUI charges are filed, and, in some cases, especially drug DUI cases, the wait for charges is longer.