In June, a chemical dependency counselor was charged by the LA district attorney after hitting a man and driving over 2 miles with the body embedded in the windshield, according to LA Times.
She was charged with driving under the influence, murder, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Sherri Lynn Wilkins, 52, was a former substance abuser. According to KTLA, when she applied for her job at Twin Town Treatment Center in 2011, she was drug tested and seemed to not have any relapse problems.
That was, of course, until she left the treatment center intoxicated in November 2012, and accidentally hit Philip Moreno. Moreno passed away in the hospital later that night.
There were over 800 alcohol-involved fatal accidents in California in 2012, according to the Office of Traffic Safety. Unfortunately, Moreno was one of them.
Many people wondered whether Moreno would have survived if Wilkins would have immediately stopped. In her mind, she thought she couldn’t.
In a statement to the police, Wilkins stated that she didn’t know what to do, so she continued driving. Motorists finally stopped her at an intersection. She had double the legal BAC level in her system.
California’s legal BAC level is 0.08%. The average BAC level of convicted DUI offenders in California is 0.15%. Wilkin’s BAC level would have been around that percentage or higher.
The probability of a crash can start at 0.05%, which is under the legal driving limit. After that, the likelihood significantly increases. It can be easy to think that you are capable of driving, and yet still be responsible for a serious accident.
Being addicted to a controlled substance can change your life forever. Like Wilkins, you may always struggle with sobriety. She was charged with two other burglaries (strikes in California) before the 2012 DUI accident. The burglaries combined with this most recent incident resulted in a sentence of 55 years in prison.
Whether it has been your first or third DUI offense, it is important that you consult with an experienced DUI attorney. A DUI attorney will help answer all of your questions during this troubling time.
The DUI lawyers at Greenberg, Greenberg & Kenyon, APLC have years of experience with handling DUI cases. They understand that each case is unique, and strive to get the best outcome for all of their clients.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI, contact the experienced lawyers at Greenberg, Greenberg & Kenyon, APLC.
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