It’s a well-known fact that drugs and alcohol can affect the ability of a person to operate a vehicle. When a group of friends starts out an evening partying and having a good time, they aren’t likely to see the night ending in tragedy. Unfortunately, drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs may lead to exactly that. If the driver is lucky, they may escape with only a warning or an OWI ticket in Wisconsin, but in more serious cases the consequences are much more severe.
After an accident that killed his four passengers, a Wisconsin man was recently convicted by a jury for driving and crashing a vehicle while he was under the influence of alcohol and several illegal drugs. The four passengers in the car were thrown from the vehicle, and the man attempted to leave the scene and claimed to law enforcement officials that he was not the driver.
Evidence proved that he was driving and that speeding and failure to stop at a stop sign caused the crash. He was recently sentenced to 32 years in prison with another 20 years of extended supervision for his decisions made before the crash.
Although he may have made a bad decision that night, the driver is only 19 years old, and faces a good chunk of his life behind bars. With the evidence against him, he may have benefitted from seeking a plea deal with prosecutors. Any person facing an OWI charge may benefit from consulting an attorney to determine the best possible course of action for their situation.
Source: WSAW, “Madison man sentenced in OWI crash that killed 4,” July 10, 2013