When law enforcement pulls someone over for potentially driving under the influence, it is an alarming situation. A driver may feel a temptation to flee, but authorities are likely to catch up with the person sooner or later, and he or she will probably face additional charges. Involving someone else in the attempt could potentially cause legal trouble for the second person as well.
Authorities have yet to charge a 55-year-old man after a one-vehicle collision in Yreka, California, last week. However, he could face charges of hit-and-run after reportedly trying to flee the scene in another vehicle. DUI charges are also likely as authorities believe that the driver may have been under the influence at the time of the crash. Law enforcement identified and stopped the vehicle that had picked up the driver. Authorities had received a tip from the 911 call reporting the crash that the driver had sustained injuries. They took him to a local hospital for treatment following his arrest.
Involvement of the second vehicle
According to authorities, the driver crashed his car into a telephone pole and a trash can in the mid-evening approximately a week ago. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and, knowing the driver to have sustained injury, attempted to render aid. The attempt proved unsuccessful when the man got into another vehicle with a female driver and left the scene as a passenger.
Admission by the other driver
Working from a description that the first responders provided, law enforcement identified the vehicle as it traveled at high speeds and ran a stop sign. Authorities made a traffic enforcement stop after making a U-turn to intercept the vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle told authorities in an interview that her passenger was the driver they sought for crashing his vehicle and injuring himself. She also told authorities that he had been drinking. Law enforcement later confirmed the man’s identity and inebriation by questioning him. It seems likely that authorities will press charges against the first driver, who may end up in court as a result.
A DUI charge is serious, but it is possible to fight it. It is important in any situation involving an accident or traffic stop that the driver remains calm and follows the proper channels. Fleeing a scene on a suspected DUI and involving others may elevate the charges that drivers face.
