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Man convicted, sentenced for Portland-area DUII crash

Most people who make the choice to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs are primarily concerned about getting where they need to go next. If they have any concerns about their level of intoxication, they usually have to do with being pulled over by a police officer and arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants. It's less common for a driver who's been drinking to worry about causing harm to another driver or winding up in the hospital. But these are fairly regular consequences of drinking and driving as well.

Defendants often express profound regret after a DUII crash that seriously injures or kills another person. There have been countless instances of people reading statements of apology to the families of drivers and passengers killed in such accidents, and while these apologies can be of some comfort to grieving families, forgiveness doesn't come easily.

Fortunately, not all DUII incidents end this way. Some accidents turn out to be fairly minor, such as the one caused by a 31-year-old Portland man last October. According to Washington County sheriff's deputies, the man was driving on the Pacific Highway in Sherwood when he caused an accident with three other vehicles. Witnesses reported that the man was driving recklessly for several miles before the crash, speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. Deputies said there was no sign the man used his brakes before rear-ending the car of a 20-year-old woman, which then slammed into two other parked cars.

Both the man and the driver he hit were taken to a hospital with injuries. The man was fortunate in that none of the injuries was considered life-threatening. He was ultimately charged and convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants, fourth-degree assault and reckless driving. He received a sentence last month of 30 days in jail and two years of probation. His driver's license has also been suspended, he was hit with a $1,000 fine and he must undergo drug abuse treatment and attend a victim's impact panel.

Considering the injuries and damage the accident could have caused, the consequences in this case are rather minor. Whatever the severity of the accident, defendants will benefit from having an experienced criminal defense attorney who can negotiate the best possible outcome. Until then it may benefit drivers who have been drinking or using drugs to consider the worst-case scenario before getting behind the wheel.

Source: Oregon Live, "Driver who caused 4-car Sherwood crash pleads guilty to DUII, assault," Roger Gregory, July 6, 2012

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