Articles Posted in DUI/OUI Arrest

Recently, a 29-year-old Memphis woman was charged with DUI following a crash that resulted in injury to her young son. According to a news report at WMC Action News 5, Kenyatta Reed-Ferguson crashed into two fences after losing control of her vehicle as she was driving eastbound on Interstate 240.

Officers arrived at the scene and found the woman was attempting to start the car. It was at this point that officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol. Officers found her son in the back seat of the vehicle, laying face down after the woman told them her son was in the car. There was no child safety seat in the vehicle, according to police. Reed-Ferguson was charged with reckless driving, violation of child restraint, child endangerment, and DUI, her second in three years. Reed-Ferguson was charged with DUI in June of 2011 after she was pulled over by police for not wearing a seat belt.

Reed-Ferguson told police that she swerved when another car in front of her swerved; she then lost control of the vehicle. Police asked her if she had been drinking, to which she replied that she had drank a beer at the location where she had been before she got on the road. She refused a blood draw at the scene of the accident, however police said she could not walk and that they had to help her to the squad car. She was taken to jail.

Last week, Murrieta Mayor Alan Long stepped down from his position after he was arrested the week prior on suspicion of drunken driving following an accident that resulted in four teenagers sustaining injuries, according to a news report at Reuters. Long, who is 44 years old, also resigned from his position as a city council member, although he announced he will seek a seat for the next term in the November 4 election.

The accident occurred when Long’s vehicle struck the back of a car stopped at an intersection, according to police. Four cheerleaders age 14 to 17 were inside the vehicle that was rear-ended; all four were injured.

Police said that Long’s blood alcohol level was .07 when he took a breath test, which is under the state’s legal limit of .08, however he failed field sobriety tests and “seemed” by police to be impaired. Long said that he resigned to avoid “even one hint of impropriety” during the legal process, however he fully expects to be exonerated of wrongdoing in regards to the drunken driving arrest. He did apologize for the accident that left the cheerleaders injured.

Recently, a 10-year-old boy lost his life in a crash in which the driver of one of the vehicles involved was believed to be under the influence. A multi-vehicle crash occurred in Anaheim after a pickup truck plowed into the back of a Toyota Camry that was stopped at a red light. The impact of the crash caused the Camry to strike a third vehicle.

10-year-old Rafael Ramirez lost his life in the crash, while four of his family members were reportedly in critical condition. The crash, which happened on Saturday evening just before midnight, left five people injured and one dead all total, including the driver of the third vehicle. Gary S. Hunt, driver of the pickup truck that crashed into the back of the Camry, was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Hunt was apparently not injured in the crash, as he was transported away in a police cruiser after officers placed him in handcuffs.

Michigan DUI defense attorneys know that many people operate their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; fortunately, most are not involved in accidents that take the lives of innocent young children.

On Saturday, October 18, Robert E. Murphy of Ashland, Massachusetts was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, his third DUI offense according to a news article at ABC News. Murphy was also charged with operating a motor vehicle to endanger, as he was carrying 25 members of a cross country running team.

According to the article, one of the coaches on board the bus became concerned that the driver, who is 59 years old, was intoxicated. Murphy was bringing the cross country team with Hopkinton High School back from a meet when the incident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. A police officer met the bus when it arrived at the high school parking lot, then performed field sobriety tests on Murphy once the team had exited the bus.

Murphy was expected to be arraigned on the charges on Monday.

On Monday, 39-year-old Lycia Martinez was arrested on suspicion of DUI after adult passengers on board the school bus she was driving reported erratic driving behavior. According to a news article at the Huffington Post, Martinez was transporting 67 fifth and sixth graders on a field trip, and almost hit a car on a busy stretch of highway in Salt Lake City.

Police received reports after a parent aboard the bus and another motorist on the highway made 911 calls claiming the bus was swerving, that Martinez could not stay in the carpool lane, and that she was crossing double lines. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Blaine Robbins said that it appeared Martinez had taken prescription anti-anxiety/muscle relaxer pills that were found in her handbag.

Martinez was pulled over by patrol officers approximately 40 miles from where the trip began, on an Interstate 15 off-ramp in Draper. Robbins said that “We really dodged a bullet,” as the interstate the bus had been traveling on had a speed limit of 75 mph and five lanes. A serious accident could easily have occurred, however no one was injured and the student on board were oblivious to what was happening.

On Sunday October 12, a Saratoga Springs, NY man was arrested just after 10:30 p.m. for allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol. According to a news article at WCAX, Stephen Jenkins was pulled over by police after he was noticed driving in an erratic manner on Interstate 87 in Queensbury.

The news article claims that Jenkins’ blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was more than twice the legal limit of .08%. Jenkins also had a child in the vehicle with him at the time, and was placed in police custody awaiting arraignment on charges of felony aggravated DWI and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child.

In Michigan, anyone who operates a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .17% or higher will face a Super Drunk OWI charge, also referred to as high BAC. The Super Drunk law applies only to those who are first time offenders, or who have not been convicted of DUI within the previous seven years. If convicted of Super Drunk driving, the penalties an individual may face include fines of up to $700, driver’s license suspension for 45 days, followed by 320 days of restricted driving, up to 6 months (180 days) in jail, possible community service, and more.

On Saturday, October 4, 25-year-old Chantel McCabe was charged with driving while impaired after she was stopped by police in the 1600 block of Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, NC according to a news article at Newsobserver.com. McCabe is the sideline reporter for the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team, and hosts the pregame show on FOX Sports Carolinas.

In a brief statement issued on Tuesday, team president Don Waddell said, “In light of what happened this past weekend, we think it is best that Ms. McCabe take some time away from the team.” She was suspended for the month of October.

News reports do not indicate whether it was McCabe’s first offense, or what her blood alcohol content was. In North Carolina, the least serious DWI offense is considered “level five.” If found guilty, the defendant may face a minimum of 24 hours in jail and a maximum of 120 days behind bars, along with a $200 fine, community service, probation, and license suspension for one year.

On Saturday, October 4, 30-year-old Osmon DeLeon of Petaluma, California was involved in an accident on Highway 101 in San Rafael that resulted in the death of another motorist, according to SFGate. The name of the victims were not released, although the news report did indicate that the driver and passenger of the Toyota the victim was driving were taken to Marin General Hospital, where the driver was pronounced dead.

DeLeon was hospitalized briefly for his injuries, before being booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and manslaughter. According to California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Andrew Barclay, a citizen called regarding a motorist who was possibly intoxicated at about 1:20 in the morning. The citizen reported that the erratic driving motorist was headed in a northbound direction on Highway 101 near North San Pedro Road, and was driving a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero.

DeLeon’s SUV veered off of the freeway and into an embankment before swerving back onto the freeway lanes, where it then rear-ended the victim’s vehicle and caused both vehicles to flip before landing back on their wheels. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving causing injury or death, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

On Tuesday afternoon September 29th, Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps apologized after he was arrested on suspicion of DUI for a second time. Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence in 2004. This time, the Olympian is charged with DUI, crossing double-lane lines, and excessive speeding, according to a news article at ESPN. The incident occurred in Baltimore on Interstate 95 in the Fort McHenry Tunnel, when officers pulled Phelps over for speeding. He allegedly failed field sobriety tests.

In his apology, Phelps acknowledged his arrest and said that he took full responsibility for his actions, which he understands are severe. He went on to say that he was deeply sorry to those he had let down.

Phelps was allegedly driving his Land Rover when he came through the tunnel doing 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. Following his first DUI arrest in Maryland in 2004, Phelps was fined $250 and put on 18 months probation. He also delivered presentations to students at three area high schools regarding alcohol awareness.

Earlier this month, Hilario Homberto Urena was arrested on suspicion of DUI after the big rig he was driving crossed a yellow line and struck on oncoming vehicle head-on. The driver of the other vehicle died of the injuries he sustained, according to police. The accident occurred in Ontario on Haven Avenue, according to KTLA 5.

Urena, who is 40 years old and a resident of the Bay Area suburb of Tracy, fled the scene of the accident before driving onto the 60 Freeway and abandoning his truck. A news release indicated that the crash took place just after 1 a.m. on Thursday, September 11. California Highway Patrol claimed that the truck’s bumper was left at the scene of the accident. When Urena drove onto the 60 Freeway on-ramp, his big rig struck a wall; the truck finally came to rest in a lane of the freeway,. where another motorist hit it. Urena was walking on the freeway when police spotted him and took him into custody.

Police believe that alcohol contributed to the fatal accident, saying that Urena exhibited signs that he had consumed alcohol. He has been booked on charges of felony DUI while operating a commercial vehicle, suspicion of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and felony hit and run.

Vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony hit and run – these are very serious charges. As Michigan DUI defense attorneys know, a charge of driving while under the influence is serious enough on its own, leaving the defendant facing possible jail time, steep fines, driver’s license suspension, community service, and more. However, when another person is seriously injured or killed in an accident caused by an intoxicated driver, the situation becomes much more serious.

In the state of Michigan, a conviction for OWI causing death or manslaughter may result in penalties which include a maximum of 15 years in prison. If a highway or emergency worker is killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver, the defendant may face up to 20 years behind bars if found guilty.

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