On behalf of Tim Kelly, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, July 8, 2015.
A man from Everett may be facing some serious charges following an incident in which he reportedly crashed his vehicle into a police cruiser, according to local sources. The man was arrested by Washington authorities on the evening of June 30. He may now face DUI charges for his role in the accident.
According to police records, an officer was stopped in the road on I-5 conducting traffic control during an unrelated investigation around 8 p.m. when the accident occurred. The 33-year-old man driving the other vehicle was headed southbound in the right lane and apparently struck the parked police car. The officer was inside the patrol vehicle at the time.
Thankfully, the officer escaped without serious injury, and the other driver was not injured at all. It is unclear how police came to the determination the man was drunk at the time of the crash, as no mention was made of the officer or other attending police implementing any kind of roadside sobriety test. It is also unclear whether he was arrested at the scene.
DUI charges can have long-term effects on the life of the accused individual. It can result in the loss of a license and sometimes even jail time, which is why Washington prosecutors are given the burden of proof to provide evidence of the man's inebriation. If they cannot produce compelling evidence in the form of a failed sobriety test or a blood test indicating an illegal blood alcohol level, the case could be thrown out of court altogether.