Fireman charged with felony DUI after high breath test

On Behalf of | Dec 26, 2013 | Blood Alcohol Tests

In South Carolina, and in every state across the country, it is illegal for anyone to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming too much alcohol. The legal limit for a driver’s BAC level in South Carolina is .08. If police pull over an individual on suspicion of drunk driving, and the driver tests at .08 or higher on a Breathalyzer, the driver will likely face DUI charges.

The higher a driver’s BAC tests on a Breathalyzer, the more severe the potential penalties become. If the driver has a high breath test they may be subject to an immediate revocation of their driver’s license in addition to other penalties. In South Carolina, a high breath test is anything higher than .15. A South Carolina man that was recently involved in an accident that injured a young girl allegedly had a BAC level of .17.

According to authorities, the man was out enjoying some drinks with his wife at a local restaurant and he allegedly decided he would drive the two of them home. While they were en route to their house, he allegedly struck a 14-year-old girl that was walking home from a church event with some friends, including her boyfriend.

After the initial accident, authorities and the girl’s boyfriend state that the man, who is a civilian firefighter, drove off and did not stop to check the girl’s condition or get her help. When the girl’s boyfriend realized the car was not going to stop he ran after it and found it parked outside the 50-year-old firefighter’s house.

Police allege that initially the man’s wife claimed she was driving. However, she eventually admitted that he was driving and upon taking a Breathalyzer test the man blew a .17. He was charged with felony DUI.

Situations like this are very serious and any individual that finds themselves facing criminal charges should take the steps necessary to defend against the charges. While nobody condones drunk driving, every accused person is innocent until proven guilty.

There are drunk driving defense attorneys in South Carolina that have successfully defended numerous cases involving DUI charges. An attorney may be able to show the existence of breath test errors, search and seizure violations or more. No matter what the strategy, they are often able to obtain either a less punitive outcome or a dismissal of charges for the defendant.

Source: New York Daily News, “Drunken firefighter flees after crashing car into S.C. teen in hit-and-run: police,” Carol Kuruvilla, Dec. 12, 2013

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