When a Wisconsin motor vehicle collision occurs, it sometimes leads to criminal charges against one or more drivers. Such situations often include suspected OWI. However, situations involving suspected drunk driving may also lead to addition criminal charges, especially if the accident resulted in injury or death to another person.
That is what happened after a crash that took place when a vehicle left the road and traveled onto a frozen lake. Prosecutors filed charges against the man behind the wheel at the time, stating they had evidence to show he was drunk. The man’s car hit a bridge that crossed over the lake.
Sadly, the person who had been riding in the front passenger seat when the vehicle crashed did not survive the collision. The case was tried in federal court because the accident happened on an Indian reservation. The man reportedly took a chemical test that showed his blood alcohol content level at more than twice the legal limit when the crash occurred.
The man involved in this OWI case pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. The judge overseeing the case in federal court has sentenced him to three years in prison. Even in situations that are less grave, such as incidents that do not involve fatal accidents, the penalties under conviction of drunk driving can still be quite severe and may include jail time. This is why most defendants rely on experienced Wisconsin defense attorneys to help them try to mitigate their circumstances and to present as strong a defense as possible when criminal charges have been filed.
