POLICE CLAIM MAN WAS DRUNK AFTER HITTING PORCHES, CARS

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:55:34 +0000

There are many reasons why a person may drive haphazardly, such as inattentive driving, slippery roads or due to a medical emergency. In a recent case of chaotic driving, police are claiming drunk driving as the reason for the incident.
It is not clear why police suspect drunk driving as the cause of the Albany crash, because no information was released about whether a field sobriety test or a Breathalyzer test was administered. The incident happened on a Sunday in December and caused significant property damage, but no reported injuries. The man allegedly involved may now be facing DWI charges.

According to police, a Rensselaer man was behind the wheel of his truck when he hit two porches during the morning hours on Orange Street in Albany. Police claim he then careened into the street where he hit a parked car. After that he apparently collided with another car on the opposite side of the road and then drove on the sidewalk where he supposedly demolished four more porches and hit another car.
Police did not report whether the man has been formally charged with driving while intoxicated, but they stated that he is currently accused of the crime, according to news reports.

While no one was injured in the accident, a judge may be concerned that someone could have been seriously hurt. If the man is convicted of the allegations against him, the court may take what it could deem to be reckless conduct into consideration when it considers a sentence. The man is currently innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.

Source: Fox 23 News, “Cops: drunk driver hit houses, cars,” Dec. 4, 2011

JUDGE SHOWS LENIENCY IN SYRACUSE DWI CASE

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:13:35 +0000

Syracuse residents may be interested in the outcome of a case that involved the death of a 23-year-old woman. Her 29-year-old boyfriend was recently convicted in that case of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, although a judge chose to show him leniency for what could have been a one- to three-year sentence. He will instead spend six months in the Onondaga County Jail, which will be followed by five years on probation for his DWI charges.

The incident in question happened on March 20 on the Thruway while the 29-year-old man was driving his girlfriend’s car. Reportedly, the pair was traveling eastbound on the Thruway when he drove off the road. That caused the vehicle to hit a guardrail and flip over. Police say the man was driving while intoxicated at the time of the crash.

The girlfriend was pronounced dead at University Hospital due to a severe head injury. The man had only sustained a minor head injury, and police reported he had a blood alcohol content of 0.13 percent, which is above the legal limit.

No one means to cause an accident like this, and facing serious charges after losing someone close to you can be overwhelming. However, courts and law enforcement officials do not take instances of DUI lightly. In this situation, the judge granted the man leniency in his sentencing based on a request from his former girlfriend’s mother. However, not everyone is awarded such treatment. He could have been sentenced to as many as three years in prison. Syracuse residents who have been charged with vehicular manslaughter may find it beneficial to speak with an experienced defense attorney.

Source: The Oneida Daily Dispatch, “Alan McCarthy granted leniency-sentenced to 6 months in county jail,” Caitlin Traynor, Nov. 28, 2011

Anelli Xavier

POLICE CLAIM MAN WAS DRUNK AFTER HITTING PORCHES, CARS

JUDGE SHOWS LENIENCY IN SYRACUSE DWI CASE