On Aug. 29, it was reported that a Tennessee school crossing guard was struck by a 26-year-old driver. The incident occurred in front of Brighton High School in Brighton at about 7 a.m.
The driver involved in the accident said that she dropped her phone while driving on U.S. 51. She struck the crossing guard while reaching down to grab it. The crossing guard was airlifted to a nearby hospital immediately following the incident. At the time this was written, her condition was not known.
As a result of the incident, the driver was facing a variety of charges that included driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, texting while driving, vehicular assault and failure to exercise due care, among other offenses. Her court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 27.
Those who are facing drunk driving charges could potentially face jail time, required alcohol counseling, large fines and a loss of driving privileges. Further, the accused person may be required to perform community service and have an ignition interlock system installed on his or her vehicle. Not only does the conviction go on a person’s criminal record, but the suspension of his or her driver’s license could also prevent the person from being able to get to work, drop the kids off at their after-school activities or run errands.
If a person already has previous DUI convictions or the alleged DUI incident resulted in bodily harm or death, the accused person could face consequences that are even more severe. However, a criminal law attorney could still mount a strong defense against the charges, especially if there are irregularities in the method the authorities used to gather evidence. The case could also be challenged if the Breathalyzer or other DUI tests were not conducted properly or were not conducted by authorized personnel.
Source: WREG, “Woman who hit school crossing guard charged with DUI, texting while driving,” 08/29/2017
