As Los Angeles County DUI lawyers, we were surprised to see a report about a drunk driving crash that left two homes damaged but fortunately did not seriously hurt anyone. KTLA reported Dec. 13 on a one-car crash caused by an allegedly drunk 18-year-old male. The unnamed driver ran a stop sign and somehow became airborne in a way that crashed the car into two houses, wedging it between them five feet above the ground. The crash did not badly hurt either the driver or his passenger, also an 18-year-old male, or anyone inside the two homes. However, it did a very large amount of property damage. Police say the driver did not seem to have used the brakes at all. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The driver reportedly did not stop for a nearby stop sign, but accelerated hard enough to leap a curb, break through a fence and crash in between the two houses. The vehicle landed in a way that wedged it stuck, five feet above the ground. A resident of one of the homes, Carter Miller, said he was just going to bed when the building shook from the crash, which he mistook for an earthquake at first. The other home was more badly damaged, but fortunately was not occupied because it had recently been sold. A contractor told KTLA the repairs to the home would cost $70,000 and take months, derailing the buyer's plans to move in next week. This is not counting the cost of repairs to Miller's home and yard. A witness who was on the scene right after the crash described the teenagers as very intoxicated but not badly hurt. It was unclear whether the passenger was arrested for any offense related to underage alcohol consumption.
As Pomona drunk driving criminal defense attorneys, we hope the driver in this crash has an attorney, because he will need one. No DUI is a picnic, California has a "zero tolerance" law for drivers under 21 who are caught drinking, which means they can be charged with a crime if they are caught with any amount of alcohol in their systems at all. Even a 0.01, which is not enough to intoxicate most adults, can trigger a zero tolerance DUI arrest. There are also special penalties for drivers under 21 caught drinking, starting with a one-year license revocation that you cannot fight. Underage drivers with BACs 0.05 to 0.07 will also be required to complete a three-month alcohol education class before they can restore their licenses; visit DUI crash victims or late-stage alcoholics; and obey a court order not to drink until age 21 or do drugs. This is on top of any ordinary DUI the driver can also be charged with, and related crimes like underage alcohol possession or possession of alcohol in a car.
Howard Law, P.C. represents juveniles as well as adults who are charged with crimes related to driving under the influence of alcohol. As the above suggests, California takes underage drunk driving seriously. Zero tolerance laws, and many of the penalties they carry, are intended to scare teens about the consequences of driving under the influence rather than harshly punish them. However, the zero tolerance law, no matter how well-intentioned, has such a low threshold that even cough syrup can trigger a 0.01 BAC and criminal charges. And an underage DUI conviction requires teens to admit to a criminal conviction on their first job applications, dogging them into adulthood. Our Murrieta intoxicated driving criminal defense lawyers help kids and their parents stave off these negative effects, arguing for alternative penalties whenever possible.
If you or your teenager are facing DUI charges in California, you should call Howard Law, P.C. to learn more about how we can help. For a free, confidential case evaluation, send us a message through our website or call 1-800-872-5925 today.
