While many people know that drunk driving is a risky activity, to say the least, fewer know the true consequences of being found guilty of a DWI or drug-related DUI that results in bodily injury or death. As New Jersey DWI lawyers, we understand how frightening it can be to face potential jail time for what seems to be a simple error in judgment. Regardless of whether a defendant in DWI and drug DUI cases believes he or she is innocent of wrongdoing, the fact is that municipal prosecutors all across the Garden State pursue aggressive legal action against those motorists accused of drunken driving when tied to injury-related automobile accidents.
Whether you or a loved one have been accused of intoxicated driving combined with vehicular assault or death by auto charges, the value of having a qualified drunk driving defense attorney on one’s side is immeasurable when compared to the possible negative aspects of a DWI conviction. It goes without saying that the monetary penalties are often the least of one’s problems when faced with mandatory jail time following a guilty verdict in a DWI or drug DUI case.
Taking an aggressive approach to defending our clients, the legal team at the law offices of Jonathan F. Marshall recognizes that not every drunken driving case is as clear cut as the local prosecutor may have the court believe. Our skilled defense lawyers have nearly 100 years of combined litigation experience, all of which can make a difference when fighting serious charges of driving while impaired by alcohol, doctor-prescribed meds, or illicit drugs (otherwise known as controlled dangerous substances or CDS).
From time to time, there are certain DWI-DUI cases that present considerable challenge from a legal standpoint, especially those involving significant property damage or bodily injury. The most serious of these would be drunken driving-related traffic accidents resulting in the death of one or more individuals. It goes without saying that the penalties for DWI in an injury-related or fatal accident case are much greater than other DUI-DWI cases that do not include personal injury or possible claims of wrongful death.
One such incident took place in Bergen County last August when a 23-year-old local man allegedly killed a mother of four after he reportedly lost control of his car in Rutherford, NJ. Based on news reports, a grand jury recently indicted the driver on charges of aggravated manslaughter. The crash took place on August 22 along a portion of Railroad Ave. near Everett Pl.
The driver’s vehicle was headed eastbound on Railroad Ave. when it reportedly hit a curb on the south side of the street, bounced off and headed across the traffic lanes to the north side where it mounted the opposing curb and drove onto the sidewalk. Once on the pedestrian sidewalk area, according to news reports, the vehicle hit a small tree, a street light and a utility pole before striking the victim who was walking home along the grounds of St. Mary’s High School.
The victim was reportedly rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center with serious head injuries, but doctors could not save here and she passed away a couple days later. The woman reportedly had four children, aged three to eight years old, at the time of the tragic accident. As a result of the crash, police arrested the motorist for drunk driving and charged him, initially, with aggravated vehicular assault, as well as citing him with a number of moving violations. Following the death of the victim, local prosecutors filed charges against the man for aggravated manslaughter including two counts of death by auto. Since the fatal collision, the driver had been free on $75,000 bail.
Rutherford man indicted in DWI death of Carlstadt mother of four, CliffviewPilot.com, April 30, 2014
N.J. Man Indicted In Connection With Alleged DWI Crash That Killed Woman, CBSLocal.com, April 30, 2014