injury DUI

Published on: July 20, 2016

Passengers At Risk with DUI Drivers: a Scary Cautionary Tale

Police officers frequently find passengers in a vehicle when they’ve pulled someone over for DUI in Los Angeles. All too often those passengers suffer critical and sometimes fatal injuries if the car hits a light pole, another car or a wall.

In Spartansburg, South Carolina, Joshua Meadows was traveling between 67 and 74 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone when he lost control of his vehicle on the night of June 8th. The car spun, went off the road, climbed an embankment and then went airborne before hitting a tree with the passenger side door. One passenger, Harold Dean Fields, 57, lost his life in the crash. Two other passengers suffered serious injuries.

Meadows faces charges of felony DUI resulting in death and felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury. His blood alcohol level allegedly was 0.104, and he also tested positive for barbiturates, Benzodiazepine and cannabinoids.

Published on: November 24, 2015

Two Victims In Deadly Los Angeles DUI

by Michael Kraut

A 36-year-old man is contemplating his future from a hospital bed after causing a fatal accident in the early morning hours on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The alleged cause of the accident is a Los Angeles DUI incident.

According to various news reports, the as yet-unidentified driver of a Buick LeSabre was speeding when he careened across West 59th Street near Normandie Avenue and slammed into a minivan containing a family of five. The accident killed the mother of the family, who was driving. The father and the three children, all under age 10, suffered minor injuries.

That collision didn’t slow the driver down, however. He continued on a deadly path, traveling several blocks and eventually mowing down a pedestrian before crashing into a building where member of the Persuaders Motorcycle Club were holding a party. Even then the car didn’t stop, but destroyed several motorcycles before finally coming to a rest. (Pictures from the scene showed the smashed minivan and the flattened motorcycles stretched out in the street.)

Published on: September 8, 2014

Woman Arrested for DUI Injury to Officer Had Been Busted for DUI Only Days Before

by Michael Kraut

Only a few days after Leslie W. Thurow of Mount Prospect, Illinois, pleaded guilty to an aggravated DUI charge, she was arrested again. Her second arrest was more extensive and extremely reckless – a mistake easily avoided if you have a Los Angeles DUI.

Dangerous Driving

Within a few days of her guilty plea, Thurow allegedly struck a state trooper with her car while driving DUI a second time, significantly injuring him. The state trooper suffered numerous fractures, including a broken arm, fractured vertebrae, a broken shoulder blade, and multiple broken ribs.

After allegedly removing herself from the scene of the personal injury accident (a felony), she crashed into an SUV carrying seven people, including an 83-year-old man and a 3-year-old boy. All victims were transported to nearby hospitals. After striking the SUV, Thurow struck the center median, while her car spun 180 degrees into oncoming traffic.

Felony vs. Misdemeanor DUI Charges

In addition to the recent charges, Thurow has a DUI conviction from 2008 – and allegedly had been driving without a valid license, compounding the effect of her harmful driving.

In California, your first-time DUI is counted as a misdemeanor. You may be required to take a defensive driving course with a focus on driving while intoxicated. Your license may be suspended, and you may be placed on formal probation after spending 48 hours in custody.

Mistakes to Avoid

Thurow’s apparent mistake was continuing to drive while her license was suspended. Your second DUI will land you a mandatory minimum of 4 days in jail with a maximum of 6 months, significant fines, and a 2-year suspension of your driver’s license. Penalties for your third and fourth DUIs are steeper still, and you may be charged with a felony.

Thurow’s felony charges include leaving the scene of a personal injury, aggravated DUI, and aggravated DUI in a personal injury incident.

Have you been charged with a DUI? Don’t wait to get in touch with a Los Angeles DUI attorney like Michael Kraut, who can equip you with the right tools for facing the court and fighting your charges.
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