- posted: Jul. 30, 2015
An accident in Riverside County left two people hurt and one man facing DUI charges. The man was reportedly involved in a fight with some family members before the accident occurred. He then got in his car and struck a fire hydrant and two pedestrians walking on the sidewalk. The two pedestrians were evaluated to the hospital and are recovering from their non-life threating injuries.
The man was arrested for suspicion of DUI and a domestic violence hit and run. Police allege that he drove his car over the curb in order to hit the pedestrians.
Drunk driving charges can arise out of a variety of different driving scenarios. An officer can pull over a driver if the officer has probable cause to suspect criminal activity or if the officer has personally observed a crime. Many times an officer will make a lawful traffic stop, only to have it lead to a DUI arrest. Once a driver is pulled over, officers will be on the lookout for any signs of drunk driving, including slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and erratic behavior. However, all arrests must be lawful and protect citizens’ constitutional rights. If an officer makes an unlawful arrest, certain evidence may get thrown out of the case.
If the officer suspects that a motorist was driving under the influence, the officer could require that the driver to submit to a breath test. If administered properly, the test will most likely be able to determine whether your blood alcohol content level is above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. If it is, the breath test results will likely be used against the driver in a DUI charge.
