Understanding the Criminal Justice System
If you’re involved in a crash that destroys another car or injures someone, it can be scary, even if you don’t believe you’re at fault. But if you hit a police car or a police officer, you can face serious repercussions, and you’ll need an experienced Indiana DUI lawyer by your side. That’s what two Indiana drivers discovered after crashes involving state police this month.
On January 2, while police were handling an incident involving a jack-knifed semi on I-65, an alleged drunk driver swerved through the accident scene. First, the driver swerved around a Hoosier Helper vehicle parked with its lights on. Then the driver swerved to the far-left lane of the interstate and back to the far right, where he crashed into a marked police car with its lights on. Luckily, the police officer standing next to the car was able to jump out of the way before impact. After refusing all blood alcohol testing options at the scene, police arrested the man for DUI.
On the same evening, a state trooper was taken to the hospital after another alleged drunk driver hit his cruiser near Indianapolis. Police were investigating a traffic accident on I-465 between I-65 and West 56th Street when the driver struck the trooper’s vehicle. According to 95.3 MNC, the trooper was “alert and conscious” when taken to the hospital for treatment. Police arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI.
In Indiana, if you operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .08% or higher as measured on a blood or breath test, the police may charge you with DUI. A first DUI is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. However, if you operate a car with a BAC of .15% or higher, or if you operate a vehicle that endangers another person, you can face a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and $5,000 in fines. If someone is seriously injured or killed in the crash, including a police officer or police animal, you could face a Level 5 felony and face up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. See IC §§ 9-30-5-1 to -5 (2016).
If you’re facing a DUI charge involving an Indiana law enforcement officer or law enforcement property, it can be a very serious matter. The state will aggressively prosecute your case, and you need a strong advocate with experience handling DUI cases protecting your rights. The experienced criminal defense attorneys at Razumich & Associates can help. Give us a call at 317-983-5333, email us at [email protected], or contact us through our website.
