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Alcohol and An ATV Leads to Injuries and Maybe a Felony DUI in St. Louis County

May 26, 2020

On May 22, 2020, in southern St. Louis County two passengers received injuries after the ATV they were on crashed. The driver had allegedly been driving while under the influence of alcohol. Both of her passengers were flown to a nearby hospital for treatment. Hopefully they will have a quick recovery.

It is often the case, especially leading into a holiday weekend, when people make the mistake of getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after they have consumed one too many alcoholic drinks. Riding ATVs over Memorial Day weekend is something a lot of folks in St. Louis County enjoy doing. However, many make the mistake of not treating an ATV as seriously as they would their car. ATV accidents routinely happen and when you involve alcohol it is an almost certainty that someone is going to get hurt.

Though the young woman who was driving has yet to be charged, odds are very good that she will be. In St. Louis County if you are caught driving any motor vehicle while intoxicated, and someone else is injured as a result of your actions, then you could be facing a Felony DUI charge. This means serious prison time.

Under Missouri law, if a person has acted with criminal negligence and causes the physical injury of another person then they could be facing heightened DUI penalties even for a first DUI. The young woman who drove this ATV is looking at being charged in St. Louis County Circuit Court with an E felony DUI if her passengers' injuries are not serious. However, if they sustained serious physical injuries then she could be charged with a D felony DUI.

Hiring an experienced St. Louis County DUI attorney, like Anthony Bretz, is the first step to take after being arrested for any DUI, but especially when there is an injury involved. Felony DUI's are not to be taken lightly, especially if you have injured someone as both the Prosecuting Attorney and the Judge you will find yourself in front of will not be easy on you, even for first time offenders.

Contact our office today to discuss your options and how to best prepare your defense. Let us fight for you.