Posted by duijim in on December 12, 2016
The Georgia State Patrol has recently released areport that 20 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents over the Thanksgiving break, which occurred during a 102-hour period from Wednesday at 6 p.m. to midnight on Monday. In addition to the fatalities, 300 people were injured and there were 273 driving under the influence arrests made.
These collisions occurred in Bryan, Carroll, Cobb, Decatur, FLoyd, Lamur, and Warren counties in the state of Georgia. Fatalities are a real result of drunk driving accidents. All motorists should understand some key facts about drunk driving accidents, and how to stay safe while on the roads.
Potential Charges Faced by Motorists
There are several different types of charges that can be faced by motorists who are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and cause the death of another person. The motor vehicle operator’s mental state is what tends to differentiate charges that arise from fatalities due to driving under the influence.
Although driving under the influence charges do not require law enforcement to demonstrate that an exact mental state existed at the time of the commission of the crime, some elevated charges do require law enforcement to demonstrate that a mental state existed.
Two of these charges include:
- Negligent Homicide: These charges occur when an individual causes the death of another through criminal negligence.
- Vehicular Manslaughter: Also called vehicular homicide, this charge is one of the most severe that can be made against a motorist in Georgia. If a motorist who is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs causes the death of another human being, then that individual is likely to be found guilty of vehicular manslaughter.
Common Causes of Catastrophic DUI Accidents
There are several common scenarios that lead to fatal DUI accidents, which include the following:
- Driving in the opposite lane of traffic
- Failure to follow signs
- Falling asleep while driving
- Rear-end collisions
Contact an Experienced Atlanta DUI Attorney
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident that involves the death of a loved one, you should consider retaining the services of a skilled and experienced Atlanta DUI attorney who will fight tirelessly to make sure that your case resolves in the most positive manner while compassionately understanding the hardships that can be caused by such an event.
Contact Yeargan & Kert, LLC today.