One week ago, 49-year-old Bernadette Elizabeth Smith was found guilty by a six-person jury of two counts of a moving violation causing serious impairment of body function. Smith was involved in a July 2013 crash in Byron Township that left a young boy and his stepmother seriously injured, according to news reports at Mlive.com. Smith is now facing 93 days in jail and revocation of her driver’s license for one year.
The news report indicates that Smith was attempting to enter a driveway on Wilson Avenue in the Kia she was driving and struck another vehicle which was traveling south. The Hyundai she struck was carrying two California residents, April Johnson and her 10-year-old stepson. Both were seriously injured and transported to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
Smith was offered a plea deal by prosecutors in October, but declined. Prosecutors offered to dismiss one of the two counts of moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function if Smith would plead guilty or no contest to one count including both victims. This would likely have kept Smith out of jail, however she would still have had her driver’s license revoked for one year.
This incident highlights how easy it is to lose your driving privilege. Michigan driver’s license reinstatement attorneys know that accidents happen unexpectedly. In the blink of an eye, you can find yourself without a valid driver’s license. Until you lose it, most do not realize how vital having the privilege to drive is to the functioning of our everyday lives.
In Michigan, the Secretary of State can suspend or revoke an individual’s driver’s license due to a moving/traffic violation, DUI or drug conviction, or for other reasons. While having your license revoked is more serious than a suspension, either will leave you without the ability to drive. If your license has been suspended or revoked, consult with a trusted lawyer who has experienced a high level of success in having clients’ driving privileges restored.