One man was recently taken into custody in Colorado after being accused of driving while under the influence. The man, 19, was arrested following a serious injury crash. The teen reportedly used both Xanax and heroin days before the DUI collision.
According to police, the man drove to Colorado from another state while under the influence of drugs and while simultaneously texting. He ended up striking a parked sport utility vehicle on a recent Monday. The SUV then crashed into another parked sport utility vehicle.
As a result of the impact, the victim was crushed between the SUVs and had to have both of his legs amputated. The man who is said to have caused the accident reportedly told police he was a recovering heroin addict. Police said this man smelled like alcohol while at the accident scene. He currently faces multiple criminal charges, including vehicular assault-DUI, texting while driving, reckless driving and vehicular assault.
The man has the right to proceed to trial to vigorously fight the charges. If he goes to trial, the prosecution has to prove the DUI and other charges beyond a reasonable doubt before any criminal conviction can happen. Alternatively, he can accept a plea deal, if one is offered by prosecutors. A plea agreement might offer the advantage of leading to lighter charges and, therefore, a more lenient sentence than what would be rendered if the man were to be found guilty at trial. A close look at the evidence that prosecutors plan to provide in court may very well be a chief area of focus for the criminal defense in this type of case.
Source: 12news.com, “PD: Teen started day in Phoenix, causes serious injury crash in Colorado“, Jen Wahl, July 6, 2016