A suspected Tucson DUI crash left one woman dead and two people injured, reports the Associated Press.
A 41-year-old, unidentified man allegedly drove his Dodge Charger head-on into a Nissan carrying 46-year-old Elizabeth G. Acuna and an unidentified driver, according to Tucson police spokesman Sgt. Matt Ronstadt.
Acuna was killed in the collision, which occurred on Benson Highway, and a 26-year-old woman driving the Nissan suffered serious injuries.
The driver of the Charger was also seriously hurt, and will likely face charges if he recovers. Authorities believe he was under the influence at the time of the crash. He was reported to have been involved in an earlier accident on South Tucson Boulevard in which he he lost control of his vehicle and hit a sign, a light pole and a fence. Instead of getting off the road, however, he drove the wrong way on the southbound lanes of Benson Highway before slamming into the Nissan, according to Ronstadt.
Charges are currently pending, according to the Associated Press.
Besides the risk he took in losing his life, he could now risk spending a part or the rest of his life in prison if he is found guilty of causing the death of another person while driving under the influence. Drunk drivers can face vehicular manslaughter or even murder charges for causing the death of bystanders, passengers, or other drivers.
The charges depend on the severity of the situation and the extreme disregard of the driver. If prosecutors believe a drunk driver has shown a demonstrable lack of concern for human life, they could charge a person with second-degree murder which is punishable by at least 10 years in prison. For more information on the consequences of a felony DUI charge, see our Related Resources section.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Felony Drunk Driving (FindLaw)
- Suspected DUI Fatality: 11-Year-Old Dies in Chandler DUI Crash (The Phoenix DUI Blog)
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