Suspected Drunk Driver Injures Two After Crashing Into Richmond House
June 18, 2019
A suspected intoxicated driver slammed into a home on Bainbridge Street in Richmond, VA, injuring two men. The impact occurred on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at around 11:25 p.m.
Richmond police officers were dispatched to the scene after calls that a vehicle had struck a structure. After investigating, the officer concluded that the car had left the road and impacted the home. There was severe damage to both the home and the car.
The driver of the car was determined to be Henock Snook, age 29, who lived on the 400 block of Bainbridge Street. He was injured and taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A man inside the home was injured, too, and taken to the hospital. A woman who was also inside the home at the time of the impact was not hurt.
Neighbors expressed concern about the lack of visible yellow lines and a missing sidewalk while reporting that multiple smaller accidents occur on their street due to drivers speeding through the neighborhood.
Snook now faces DUI charges in Virginia.
Serious Charges Related to DUI
When a person is intoxicated and gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, he or she faces more than the potential of a standard DUI charge. Other related and very serious charges may result from the same DUI event. This is especially true if a person was injured as a result of the DUI accident.
DUI Maiming
A charge of DUI maiming occurs when a person shows a reckless disregard for human life and unintentionally causes serious bodily injury to another person that results in permanent and significant physical impairment. When charged with this offense, a person faces a Class 6 felony conviction.
Penalties for this offense are very serious and include:
up to 5 years in prison; and/or
a minimum fine of $1,000 and a maximum possible fine of $2,500.
A person's vehicle could also be subject to forfeiture under certain circumstances.
DUI-Related Involuntary Manslaughter
A person commits the offense of DUI-Related Involuntary Manslaughter if he or she was driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both and unintentionally causes the death of another person. The intoxication must be the proximate cause of death, not some other factor. When charged with this offense, the person will also face a typical DUI charge, leading to increased penalties.
The offense is a Class 5 felony in Virginia and the possible penalties include:
a sentence of up to ten years in prison;
a possible fine of up to $2,500;
seizure and forfeiture of the vehicle used in the commission of the offense;
the addition of six demerit points to the offenders Virginia driving record;
indefinite suspension of the offender's driver's license.
Contact an Experienced Virginia DUI Attorney
When you face serious charges related to a DUI, the potential penalties can be extremely serious. If charged with DUI, you have options to fight your charges. To protect your constitutional rights, you need Virginia DUI attorney Bryan J. Jones to defend your case.
Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation to discuss your case.