When people drive their cars, they have a duty to do so carefully. When people are negligent, they can face both civil and criminal liability. If people are so negligent while driving that they hurt someone else, they can be charged with a variety of felonies. Recently a man was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide following a car accident.
In this case, the 30-year-old man was driving in Portland when his car crossed the center line and he began driving into oncoming traffic. As a result of swerving into the wrong lane, the man hit two cars. A 36-year-old woman was injured in the accident and was taken to a local hospital where she died. At the time of the accident, the man had both THC and methamphetamine in his system -- both of which are illegal drugs.
On Feb. 5, the man was sentenced to five years in prison on the charge and three years of supervised release. Furthermore, the man received five years of probation for other charges stemming from the accident.
It is easy for people to get distracted and make mistakes while driving. When these mistakes lead to felony charges, they can ruin a person's life if not handled properly. A conviction can lead to a criminal record which can limit where a person can work and live. Furthermore, other rights can be limited. For example, felons cannot vote or own a firearm -- in some cases people can lose their drivers' licenses.
In order to prevent some of these consequences, people charged with felonies should mount an aggressive defense. In some situations, it may be best to fight the charges head on. In others, it may be best to negotiate a deal with prosecutors.
Source: The Oregonian, "Northeast Portland crash that killed a woman leads to five-year sentence for driver," Lily Oberman, Feb. 6, 2013
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