Drunk driving accident leads to guilty verdict

A man who has been convicted of killing another man because he was intoxicated behind the wheel has been sentenced to a prison term, according to local sources. Pennsylvania authorities convicted the 41-year-old man after a drunk driving accident killed a local father. The man will now face up to 10 years in a state prison. 

According to court documents, the accident, which took place on Oct. 17, 2013, was precipitated by the driver consuming alcohol to the point where his blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit, somewhere between .10 and .15. It appears the 42-year-old victim was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. The driver admitted he was drunk when he lost control of his SUV, which left the road and struck a tree. The man apparently then fled the scene on foot, though he claims he did not know his passenger was still at the crash site. 

The man expressed remorse at his actions, but the daughter of the deceased man was unmoved and asked the judge to consider harsher sentencing. The man, who had a history of alcohol-related charges and citations, was found guilty. It is unclear when his sentence will begin. 

A drunk driving accident is made all the more tragic when one considers its preventable nature. However, jail time does not always confer the sense of justice required by those left behind to grieve. Therefore, Pennsylvania law will allow the family of the deceased man to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the convicted man in addition to his criminal sentencing. Suits of this nature are considered civil and will use the same evidence as the criminal trial.

This blog entry was posted on behalf of [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-1″], and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the firm or its attorneys. The information presented in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.

Source: goerie.com, “Man gets up to 10 years in fatal Fairview DUI“, Lisa Thompson, Jan. 28, 2015