A motor vehicle crash in Colorado recently led to multiple injuries. It also led to the arrest of one man for DUI. The alleged drunk driving accident took place on a Tuesday near a ramp that connected to Interstate 25.
The car accident took place at around 3:20 p.m. Police said they heard the crash and arrived at the scene to assist the vehicle occupants. They reported that one vehicle involved in the collision was actually on fire, so a deputy had to use an extinguisher to douse the flames. Three people were seriously injured in the collision, with four individuals in the crash being sent to a medical center.
Authorities said their initial investigation showed that a car was going west and hit an SUV that was making a left turn onto a ramp to get to I-25 northbound. They also determined that both DUI and excessive speed were causal factors in the accident. The car driver was arrested on various charges related to the traffic accident, including vehicular assault.
When a person in Colorado is accused of drunk driving, he or she is always presumed innocent until and unless the formal allegations are actually proved in court. The charges have to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt with relevant evidence before a conviction can be secured. The defendant may decide not to go to trial, however, and instead accept a plea deal offered by the prosecution, if one is available. A plea agreement sometimes offers the benefit of resulting in a lighter sentence for the accused than what may be rendered following a guilty verdict at trial.
Source: kdvr.com, “Driver arrested for speeding, DUI in Colorado Springs crash that injured 4“, Kevin Torres, May 31, 2016