Two Miami police officers have been fired, and one is facing criminal charges after he crashed his department-issued ATV into two people. The two police officers were on duty when they allegedly began drinking and partying with several women who were having a bachelorette party. One of the officers took a woman for a ride on his Department issued ATV. He was allegedly driving too fast and did not have the headlights on when he ran over two people who were on the beach waiting for the sun to rise. The couple sustained extremely serious injuries. The man was hospitalized for a broken leg and the woman was in a coma following the collision. When he was tested five and a half hours after the crash, the officer still had a blood alcohol level of 0.088 which is over the legal limit. The officer now faces two counts of DUI causing Serious Injury and two counts of Reckless Driving Causing Serious Bodily Injury.
While Driving under the Influence is always a serious charge, when it results in substantial bodily harm or death it is especially serious. In Nevada, Driving under the Influence of Alcohol or a Controlled Substance causing Substantial Bodily Harm or Death is a felony offense that carries mandatory prison sentences of up to twenty (20) years. NRS 484C.430(1). In addition, prosecutors are legally prohibited from negotiating a DUI charge to a lesser offense unless the prosecutor knows he or she cannot prove the charge at trial. NRS 484C.430(2).
If you or someone you know has been charged or arrested for DUI with Substantial Bodily Harm or Death or if you have been in an alcohol-involved traffic collision where someone was injured, it is imperative that you contact a Las Vegas DUI Defense Attorney immediately. The Las Vegas DUI Defense Lawyer can assist you in analyzing the facts of your case, identifying appropriate defenses and providing you with the most aggressive DUI defense strategy possible to protect your legal rights.