A man in Pennsylvania was driving his car, with his girlfriend riding along, when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a tree. His girlfriend died in the wreck. Reports claim he may have been driving around 76 miles per hour.
The 41-year-old woman passed away at the crash site. The 50-year-old man was arrested. According to the Pennsylvania State Police, his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was over three times higher than the 0.08 legal limit in the state.
However, the man has since said he was not intoxicated. He claims that a “medical incident” led to the wreck. He also claimed he did not believe his BAC was as high as the 0.243 percent police claim it was at.
The man did admit that he had been drinking. The couple had gone to see the Baltimore Ravens play the Pittsburgh Steelers. He said he started drinking at 10:30 in the morning and had seven beers between then and 7:00 p.m.
He then claims that, right before the accident, he felt “tingly and unwell.” The crash put him in a coma for 1.5 months. Waking up, he said he thinks the whole thing was a medical issue, not a DUI issue.
The woman’s mother said that she believes him. She thinks he had a medical emergency and crashed. She called him a “very good person” and claimed the couple was very much in love.
As this story shows, alleged drunk driving cases are not always as simple as many people assume. It is important for those who face charges to know all of their legal defense options.
If you or someone you know has been charged with driving under the influence, contact a DUI attorney at the Quinn Law Firm at 814-806-2518 to discuss the facts of your case.
Source: York Daily Record, “York County man admits having 7 beers day of fatal crash. He says he wasn’t drunk.,” Dylan Segelbaum, April 17, 2018