According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a 49-year-old Bucks County woman has been charged with homicide by vehicle for her role in the drunk driving accident that led to the death of a motorcyclist in Solebury Township on the morning of July 16. The victim was a Canadian man who was riding his motorcycle on Route 202 when he was struck by Nancy Smith, who was driving her SUV with her 15-year-old daughter and attempting to turn from Route 202 into the Logan Square Shopping Center. At the time of the accident, Smith’s blood alcohol content level was 0.288 percent, which, as any Bucks County PA DUI lawyer can tell you, is more than three times the legal limit in the state of Pennsylvania. Allegedly, Smith had consumed alcohol the night before the accident, and had awoken at 4 a.m. to do housework after sleeping only for a couple of hours.
Following her arrest, Smith was released on $250,000 unsecured bail. The mandatory minimum sentence in a homicide by vehicle case under Pennsylvania law is three to six years in prison. Given the severity of the charges and the potential sentence that this woman is now facing, it is essential that Smith and others in a similar position take immediate steps to secure experienced legal representation by a Bucks County DUI attorney.
This case illustrates that what may initially be a simple night on the town can quite quickly turn into a very serious criminal matter with a mandated amount of prison time. It takes only a split second for an accident to occur under any circumstances, and those chances are heightened when a driver is under the influence of alcohol. Fortunately, even such a serious case as this is not impossible to defend from a legal standpoint.
There are many defenses that a Bucks County drunk driving lawyer may be able to raise on your behalf, no matter how severe the. For instance, in a case in which the blood alcohol content (BAC) reading is a major factor, such as here, where Smith’s BAC allegedly was more than three times the legal limit, a defense attorney is likely to question the validity of the devices used to measure her BAC, and/or the procedures used to administer the tests. These devices, and the humans who operate them, are far from infallible, which leaves room for doubt as to the accuracy of the results in certain situations.
If you find yourself charged with DUI or any DUI-related crime, no matter how serious, consult a Bucks County DUI attorney to guide you through the criminal justice system and help you move toward a successful resolution of your case. Contact The Law Offices of Steven Kellis today to schedule a free initial consultation for any DUI matter in Pennsylvania.