It's illegal to leave the scene of an accident, even if there's no other vehicle or pedestrian involved in a particular accident. Even simple property damage to the city constitutes as a reason that a person must stay at the scene.
ABC News reports that a driver is now facing criminal charges for DUI after his vehicle landed in the south Phoenix canal last Friday. The driver reportedly abandoned his damaged vehicle in the canal near 65th Avenue and Buckeye Road and left the area completely. Police were eventually able to locate three people that were in the vehicle based on reports from witnesses.
Police found that the 31-year-old driver was drunk at the time of the accident, with a reported initial blood-alcohol content of .146, which is nearly double Arizona's legal limit. Two victims in the accident, who were passengers in the car, were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident still remains under investigation, but the driver faces charges of driving under the influence, aggravated assault, endangerment, and leaving the scene of an injury accident, according to ABC News. This is the type of case where it's especially important for an Arizona DUI attorney to get involved, because of the multiple charges that stem from the suspected DUI crash. With so many criminal charges, it is easy for a DUI case to get complex. A lawyer may be able to tackle the case one charge at a time and mitigate the charges. For more information, please visit our Related Resources links.
Related Resources:
- A Walk Through Two Drunk Driving Cases: How the Criminal Justice System Works (FindLaw)
- DUI - Plea Bargains (FindLaw)
- Contact a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
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