As numerous postings in this blog have discussed, there are potentially severe consequences involved when a resident of South Carolina drives while under the influence of alcohol. There are also serious consequences involved when authorities discover a minor consuming alcohol.
The legal age to consume alcohol in South Carolina is 21. However, when a minor is involved in an accident and is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol the potential consequences become even more severe.
A 19-year-old resident of South Carolina has recently been arrested and may face felony DUI charges after his involvement in an accident that left a 19-year-old girl severely injured. According to authorities, they found the 19-year-old’s SUV off the side of the road, 100 feet into the treeline and flipped over. The 19-year-old boy was sitting on the side of the road. Authorities allegedly found a 19-year-old girl unconscious inside the SUV.
When medics responded to the scene of the accident they believed the girl may have had life-threatening injuries. Therefore, she was taken by ambulance to an airport and then airlifted to a hospital in another state for treatment of her injuries.
After a preliminary investigation of the accident the South Carolina Highway Patrol charged the teenager with felony DUI and they are holding him in a detention center on $100,000 bond. Since the accident involved an underage adult that was allegedly driving while intoxicated, there is a further investigation being completed by the Beaufort County Alcohol Beverage Control investigation team.
When any resident is accused of driving while intoxicated there is always the possibility of the assessment of serious penalties. A rigorous defense will fight and negotiate in an attempt to get the best possible outcome for the defendant.
Source: ABC News, “Man, 19, arrested for felony DUI after Hilton Head crash,” Dec. 27, 2013
