A Riverside drunk driver was taken into custody after nearly killing a police officer with his truck. The DUI incident took place on Thursday night, December 7, when Daniel M. Vazquez caught the police’s attention.
Vazquez wasn’t among millions of Americans who get behind the wheel after drinking one too many and get away with it. The drunken driver was arrested after his 2005 Dodge Truck nearly struck a police officer in west suburban Riverside.
Fact: 1.1 million drivers get arrested for DUI in the U.S. every year.
Vazquez didn’t stop after nearly colliding with the officer and continued to drive on Harlem Road. The police officer, who nearly got injured or killed in the DUI car accident, signaled to another officer stationed in Harlem to stop the truck.
The second police officer eventually located Vazquez and attempted to stop the drunk driver’s truck near the intersection of Harlem and Cermak. Even though Vazquez nearly crashed into a row of parked cars, he was eventually pulled over.
Vazquez had all signs of DUI on him: he was reportedly slurring his speech and didn’t seem to understand what he was being told by the police officer. The drunk driver was repeatedly caught lying to the police during his arrest.
What’s the punishment for DUI in Riverside?
Although our DUI car accident attorney Howard Craig Kornberg says it’s not uncommon for alcohol-impaired drivers to lie to the police to avoid punishment for DUI, a lot of details didn’t add up in Vazquez’s case:
- Vazquez told the officer that he was driving home, but his home was actually located in the opposite direction of where he was headed
- The drunk driver said he only bought beer at a liquor store, but there was a glass pipe for smoking marijuana in his truck
- At the police station, Vazquez finally admitted to smoking marijuana before driving and drinking “only three to four IPA beers.”
Vazquez failed a series of sobriety tests before he was taken into custody. The Riverside drunk driver was charged with two counts of DUI and a single count of illegal lane usage. Also, Vazquez was cited for other traffic violations.
While illegal lane usage is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to two years of court supervision in Riverside, getting caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs poses a series of consequences.
What consequences are drunk drivers facing?
Even if a drunk driver is getting caught for the first time, he/she will have to pay up to $15,000 in fines as well as spend thousands (or millions) more to cover the damages done to the other party(s) involved in the car accident.
Our Riverside DUI car accident attorneys at Law Offices of Howard Kornberg remind us that drunk drivers under 21 are facing more costly fines: up to $22,000 in fines.
Any DUI accident may cause the suspension of the driver’s license while killing someone in a DUI car accident may result in DUI manslaughter charges.
Other consequences of DUI in Riverside are:
- Legal and personal consequences
- Loss of job
- Revocation of the license in case of multiple convictions
- Prison time
- The requirement to install an ignition interlock device preventing drivers from operating the vehicle if it detects alcohol
- Higher insurance rates
- Denial in payment for injury treatment if the car accident was the drunk driver’s fault.
If you or your family members have gotten into a DUI car accident, contact our experienced car accident attorney immediately to know your best legal options.
Don’t speak to your insurer before consulting attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, as this may maximize compensation for your damages, injuries, and losses in a DUI car accident.
Call our Riverside offices at 310-997-0904 or complete this contact form for a free case evaluation.
Prev
