On Oct. 30, a Tennessee man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident. The incident took place in East Nashville.
Authorities say that the defendant was attempting to turn from Trinity Lane onto Douglas Avenue when he struck another car head-on. He kept driving and struck several other vehicles before finally exiting his car and fleeing on foot.
Responding officers reportedly found the defendant hiding behind a tree at 1325 Pennock Avenue. They said he was having difficulty standing upright and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. An open container of alcohol was allegedly discovered on the passenger seat of his car. The defendant was asked to submit to a breath or blood test, but he refused. He was arrested and charged with DUI, an open container violation, an implied consent violation, failure to render aid, failure to report an accident and leaving the scene of an accident. He was additionally charged with driving on a revoked license. His bond was set at $8,050.
Drunk driving charges carry harsh consequences in Tennessee. If convicted, defendants could be sentenced to jail, assessed heavy fines and have their driver’s license suspended or revoked. If allowed to drive, they could also be forced to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle. However, a defense attorney may be able to help a client avoid some or all of these penalties. One strategy in some cases could be to argue that the law enforcement officer did not have the requisite reasonable suspicion when making the traffic stop itself.
Source: WSMV, “Man charged with DUI, open container violation in East Nashville“, Hannah Lupas, Oct. 31, 2018
