On Oct. 5, a car crash occurred between a Sheriff’s Office police car and a pickup truck at approximately 10 p.m. Fortunately, no serious personal injuries were reported. However, the driver of the truck was charged with DUI.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the pickup truck driver was making a left turn off of Georgia Highway 20 when the accident took place. The pickup truck driver was driving north before crossing the southbound lane of traffic to make a left turn. A patrol car belonging to the local Sheriff’s Office was driving southbound at the time. The patrol car was in the process of responding to a call that was not considered an emergency; therefore, the police car did not have its lights or sirens on.
As the pickup truck made the left turn, it failed to yield to the patrol car and the police officer rammed into the side of the pickup. Fortunately, no life threatening injuries were reported. The officer was transported to the hospital and later released. The pickup truck driver was not injured. The pickup truck driver also refused to submit to a field sobriety test and refused to submit to an alcohol breathalyzer test.
Even though the Georgia pickup truck driver will face DUI charges, he will still have a chance to defend himself against those allegations in a court of law. Equally important is the fact that he will remain completely innocent of the DUI charges until — and only if — he is convicted of the crimes. A criminal conviction is a far cry from an accusation of wrongdoing, and the burden of proof will be on the prosecution to establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt. That is often easier said than done. Depending on the unique facts of his case, the man may be able to get the DUI charges dropped or obtain a reduction in punishment by asserting a strategic and well-thought out legal defense.
Source: rockdalenews.com, Crash with RCSO patrol car, truck Saturday night, No author, Oct. 7, 2013