Those who ride public transportation in South Carolina may be following the story of a fatal bus stop crash that occurred in Las Vegas in September 2012. On Nov. 1, a Clark County District Judge sentenced a 24-year-old man to 24 to 80 years in prison for felony DUI offenses arising from a car crash at a crowded Las Vegas transit bus stop that killed four people. The man previously pleaded guilty to five counts of DUI causing death or substantial bodily harm.
Prosecutors say the "carnage was extensive" at the scene of the accident. A witness described seeing a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo traveling at as much as 100 miles per hour, bottoming out in an intersection crossing dip and then crashing into the crowded bus stop. Four people ranging in ages from 24 to 65 were killed. Eight other people were injured in the crash including the driver, all four passengers in the car and three other people at the bus stop. The injured include one person who was paralyzed and another who now has permanent brain damage.
The criminal complaint alleges that the driver's blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was above the legal limit and that he had marijuana in his system. His attorneys challenged the field sobriety tests and their results. The 24-year-old admitted to drinking one beer and says he remembers becoming airborne but does not recall crashing into the bus stop. He expressed remorse for causing the accident and has written letters to the families of those killed in the crash.
Those charged with felony DUI offenses face severe criminal penalties, which can include incarceration and fines. If the best outcome is to be achieved, they will need to pursue an attorney well-versed in DUI defense. An experienced DUI attorney might be able to assist in an investigation to get to the facts of the case.
Source: ABC News, "24 to 80 years for driver in Vegas bus stop crash", November 01, 2013
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