According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a July 29 accident involving a suspected drunk driver forced officials to close down Highway 81 just south of Easley. Reportedly, the 12:30 a.m. accident brought down nearby power lines.
According to police, a 25-year-old man was driving a 1995 Toyota on the highway when he veered off the roadway and struck a power pole, causing power lines to fall between Forest Hill Drive and Pine Road. As a result of the event, officials were summoned to the scene, and traffic was diverted onto Pine Road.
Police charged the 25-year-old driver with DUI. It was not clear immediately following the incident how police determined that the man was intoxicated. Nor was it immediately clear if police measured his blood alcohol content with some sort of chemical sobriety testing, such as a breath test.
If the 25-year-old man in this case were to contest the charges, it would be important to review all of the evidence constituting the DUI accusation. For, a criminal defense attorney representing the driver may challenge the validity of that evidence in an effort to have the charges reduced or dismissed altogether. For example, when law enforcement officials administer breath tests to measure drivers’ blood alcohol content level, defense attorneys might question whether the testing equipment was properly calibrated and if the administering officer was properly trained. In the event that the evidence appears unassailable, the defense attorneys may advise taking a plea deal.
The important thing is to avoid the severe penalties that accompany a DUI conviction in South Carolina. Besides jail time, they may include costly fines and a lengthy probation.
Source: WYFF, “Troopers: DUI driver wrecks, downs power lines shutting down Upstate highway“, July 29, 2014
