To our south, in Broward County, a young woman was sentenced to more than two decades in prison because of the part she played in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of two individuals. Some people here in Orange County may remember hearing about the crash on the Sawgrass Expressway on November 21, 2013.
For those who don’t remember, the young woman who was sentenced this month was said to have been twice the legal limit when she collided with another vehicle on the Sawgrass Expressway. Reports indicate that she was driving the wrong way down the freeway between 84 and 96 mph when she slammed into the other vehicle. Because of her actions, she was sentenced to 24 years — six less than the maximum of 30 years that she faced.
The reason why we’re highlighting this case in today’s post is because it perfectly illustrates the serious consequences a person can face after driving while intoxicated. Not only could you lose your freedom if you are convicted, you could also be held responsible for an accident that may have injured or even killed someone. When another person gets injured or is killed in a drunk-driving accident, criminal charges tend to escalate, resulting in steep sentences such as the one seen in the Fort Lauderdale case above.
But as this case also shows, a prison sentence is not the only negative consequence of being convicted of DUI manslaughter. The woman in this case was given a “permanent license revocation,” meaning she will never be allowed to driver ever again, the judge explained.
Aside from pointing out the seriousness of drunk-driving convictions, this case also shows the importance of requesting an expungement of your criminal record. A DUI manslaughter conviction on someone’s record can be incredibly problematic in many ways, which is why attorney about expungement is an incredibly good idea.
Source: CBS News, “‘2 Drunk 2 Care’ driver sentenced in fatal crash,” May 4, 2015
