A young woman has been arrested and charged with drunk driving following a fatal car accident. According to authorities, the 22-year-old South Carolina woman was driving down Interstate 26 at approximately 7 p.m., on a recent Sunday evening when she collided with the rear end of a semi-truck.
Tragically, the young woman’s passenger did not survive the collision. The deceased passenger was a 27-year-old woman from Florida, who was riding in the front seat of the 22-year-old driver’s car.
Police say that the accident happened at exit 18B of Interstate 26, where there is an interchange between Interstate 26 and Interstate 85. The semi-truck was slowing down to exit Interstate 26 when the young woman collided with it.
The 22-year-old woman is a student at Lander University, where she plays on the woman’s soccer team. Miraculously, she was not injured in the fatal crash. Due to the fatality involved in the crash, the woman’s DUI charges were elevated to felony level.
South Carolina residents who are accused of DUI will have the right to defend themselves against the charges in court. In cases that involve felony-level DUI and a car accident fatality, punishments can be particularly severe if the accused person is convicted. Stiff fines, loss of driving privileges, jail time, community service and other consequences could result from such a conviction.
Due to the severity of consequences in the event of a felony DUI conviction, South Carolina residents accused of this crime will want to plan their criminal defenses carefully. If successfully navigated, they may be able to reduce their punishments, get certain charges dismissed or obtain verdict of not guilty.
Source: wyff4.com, “Lander soccer player charged with felony DUI in deadly crash, troopers say,” Tiffanie Wise, Oct. 26, 2015
