Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Deputy C.S. Welcome was one of the law enforcement officers that handled the arrest of a woman based on the suspicion of driving under the influence this past weekend. Officers found the Pennsylvania woman unconscious behind the wheel of her car, stopped at a traffic signal. After an investigation, the woman was charged with DUI and possession offenses.
With the car stalled at an intersection, it is no surprise that a Berkeley County deputy decided to investigate this case a little further. It might seem like an extreme situation, but remove the fact that the car was at an intersection. Replace this with a situation involving a vehicle in a parking lot. Seem more familiar?
This second scenario may be much more relatable to the majority of the readers that follow our Martinsburg DUI/DWI law blog. Have you ever driven to a bar and ended up having a couple more drinks than you planned?
In this situation a driver may not want to risk the consequences of a DUI while at the same time avoid leaving the car and having to come back to pick it up the next day. The solution may be to sleep it off behind the wheel in the car for a while or even all night. A driver might be surprised when he or she wakes up to an officer tapping on the vehicle’s window.
Is this situation worth losing driving privileges for a period of time or having a conviction on your record? Depending on the specific circumstances, this is what could happen. Hiring the assistance of a defense attorney is one way to fight that result.
Source: Herald-Mail Media, “Pa. woman faces DUI, possession charges after being found passed out in car,” March 24, 2014