As Fullerton drunk driving criminal defense attorneys, we were interested to see a conviction in an unusual drunk driving case. Christopher Koppi, 28, was accused of driving drunk when he ran out of gas on the 57 freeway, causing a chain reaction crash that killed another man. The Orange County Register reported May 6 that prosecutors argued that Koppi was culpable in the 2006 death of Richard James Pettigrew, 59, because Koppi was too drunk to notice the light on his dashboard warning that he was running out of gas. At his sentencing on July 30, Koppi could get up to 25 years in prison, an increased sentence because he has a prior felony "strike" and because the conviction was for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a more serious crime than simple vehicular manslaughter.
Koppi was driving a Ford F-150 pickup on the early morning of August 26, 2006 when he simply ran out of gas and became what a prosecutor described as a dangerous obstacle. Pettigrew was directly behind him in a 1981 Datsun sedan. He was apparently unable to avoid colliding with Koppi's truck and crashed into its back. Another vehicle then crashed into the back of Pettigrew's car. Pettigrew died at the scene from multiple injuries. Police noticed several signs of intoxication from Koppi, and a blood-alcohol concentration test measured him at 0.20 two hours after the crash. Koppi's defense lawyer argued that Koppi was trying to pull over when he noticed problems with his truck, and that it was still in motion when Pettigrew hit it. He also noted that detectives didn't argue that Koppi had run out of gas until six weeks after the incident.
Our Chino Hills DUI criminal defense lawyers wonder how much Koppi's past record had to do with the jury's decision in this case. As a rule, juries are not inclined to show mercy to repeat offenders, and Koppi's prior offense was aggravated assault, a serious crime. It also has nothing at all to do with the crime alleged in this case, which was driving under the influence of alcohol. Nonetheless we wouldn't be surprised if it made jurors less likely to believe that Koppi genuinely had car trouble -- which of course is not a criminal offense. And we're absolutely sure that the prior conviction will haunt Koppi later, at his sentencing, because aggravated assault is a "strike" crime. That means the sentence for any subsequent felony is doubled, whether or not it's a strike. Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated normally carries four to 10 years in prison.
If you're accused of driving while intoxicated and causing a death or a serious injury, don't wait before calling Howard Law, P.C.. As this case shows, jurors take DUI crimes seriously when another driver was seriously hurt, and they are unlikely to be on the side of the accused. That means drivers accused of this crime need the help of an experienced Pomona intoxicated driving defense attorney to build the best possible case. Even if the police have a BAC reading over the legal limit, our attorneys may still be able to mount a strong defense. For example, we can examine whether the initial traffic stop was legal, the test was administered correct or the breath or blood sample was cared for in a way that did not taint the results. These and other defenses can result in throwing out the BAC evidence entirely, making the case much harder for prosecutors to win.
Howard Law, P.C. offers free consultations, allowing potential clients and their families to meet with us at no cost or obligation. To arrange a meeting, you can send us a message through our website or call toll-free at 1-800-872-5925.
