DUIs in Los Angeles often involve collisions between vehicles, between a vehicle and a pedestrian or between a vehicle and some building. But the DUI driver rarely hits the same object more than once–at least not on purpose.
In Naperville, Illinois, however, John Chiampas was apparently determined to get the vehicle that blocked his route out of the way. According to the Chicago Tribune, Chiampas was driving his 2011 BMW when he struck a Volvo that was stopped by the side of a road. Chiampas hit the Volvo once, and it rolled forward. He proceeded to strike the car from behind several times, at one point backing up and then moving forward again to slam into it.
Fortunately, the family inside the Volvo—a man, a woman and their three children—were not injured.
After doing a job on the Volvo’s rear end, Chiampas sped off, attracting the attention of an off-duty police officer who saw his BMW hit a curb, strike a tree and eventually ruin someone’s landscaping. Chiampas got out of his car and tried to run, but it didn’t take long for three officers to catch him. Even then Chiampas fought, thrashing his legs to attempt a getaway.
Police eventually charged him with driving under the influence, criminal damage to property, reckless conduct causing bodily harm or endangering safety, and resisting or obstructing a police officer.
In California, resisting arrest is a misdemeanor (under Penal Code 148) that could earn you a year in a county jail and up to $1,000 fine. That would be in addition to the penalties outlined for a DUI conviction under Vehicle Code 23152: the possibility of 48 hours to six months in jail and fines ranging from $390 to $2,000 for a first offense.
Call Michael Kraut of the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney. Mr. Kraut is a Harvard Law School educated ex-prosecutor with nearly 20 years of experience and an excellent track record for getting justice for DUI defendants.