A 17-year-old male allegedly struck a Chevrolet Impala off Expressway 83 and Victoria Road in Donna on Aug. 8. The collision with the man’s Chevy pickup caused the Impala to roll, which caused the death of a 62-year-old woman inside of the car. Three other people in the car were also hurt, and one of the injured passengers was a child.
Police took the driver of the Chevy into custody early on Aug. 9 and charged him with one count of intoxication manslaughter and multiple counts of intoxication assault. He was taken to Hidalgo County Jail where he was being held on $1.1 million bond.
A conviction on charges of intoxication manslaughter or assault could carry severe penalties. It may be possible to spend time in jail, pay a fine and face probation or community service in addition to time spent in jail. It may also be possible to be exposed to a civil lawsuit from the family due to a family member’s wrongful death. This could add additional financial penalties on top of the criminal penalties. Those who are facing such charges may wish to talk to a DWI defense attorney to help dispute the charges in court.
DWI defense attorneys may be able to point out inconsistencies in the police report or misstatements made by witnesses to cast doubt upon the case against a defendant. It may also be possible to ask a judge to throw out a case against someone charged with a crime based on insufficient evidence or due to evidence being obtained illegally. If successful, it may be possible to leverage this doubt into a plea bargain or complete exoneration for the defendant.
Source: ValleyCentral.com, “$1.1 million in bonds for teen in fatal DWI accident”, August 11, 2014
Source: ValleyCentral.com, “$1.1 million in bonds for teen in fatal DWI accident”, August 11, 2014