Articles Posted in DUI Manslaughter

Youn Bum Lee pleaded guilty this week to the vehicular manslaughter charges that he faced for an accident that occurred in 2005. Lee and other employees of Hyundai went out to a company dinner in October of 2005. All of them drank plenty of alcoholic beverages at dinner and then Lee got into his car and left. He did not turn his headlights on as he drove and he veered into the carpool lane, crashing into the median in Santa Ana. Ryan Dallas Cook was riding his motorcycle and did not see the unlit car, crashing right into the vehicle. Cook died immediately and Lee drove away. He returned home and went to work the next day before deciding to flee the county and live in Korea. Investigators figured out that he committed the crime and extradited him to Orange County. He was charged and pleaded guilty to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act with gross negligence while intoxicated, with a sentencing enhancement of fleeing the scene. He is expected to be sentenced to around 9 years in prison.

Drunk driving lead to the death of Cook, the end of the career of Lee, and prison time for Lee. Lee should have asked one of his friends to drive him home or should have called a cab. Instead, he risked his life and the lives of others around him by driving. Fleeing the scene of a crime is a crime in itself and comes with additional punishments. If you have caused an accident, stay at the scene of the crime. Whether you live in Garden Grove, Villa Park or Ladera Ranch, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Richard L. Rodriguez was arrested on Sunday morning in Santa Barbara on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. Allegedly, Rodriguez was heavily intoxicated and driving the wrong way on Highway 101. A vehicle was heading straight for him and the cars colliding, trapping all four passengers of the other vehicle. Two passengers of the car died immediately upon impact. The other two passengers were taken to the hospital with severe injuries. Rodriguez was also injured and after being released from the hospital, was arrested. Highway 101 in the Santa Barbara area was closed down for 5 hours due to the accident.

Rodriguez was only 20 years old and was drunk at the time of the accident. People under 21 should not be drinking because they are not mature enough to handle alcohol and its effects. Because of his decision to drink and drive, he will likely spend a large portion of his adulthood in prison regretting his decision to drive drunk. A defense attorney may argue that he should be granted some leniency due to his age. Other possible defenses include medical conditions or road conditions. Whether you live in Aliso Viejo, La Palma or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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In San Diego this weekend, a 17-year-old boy was riding in a car driven by a 20-year-old drunk driver on East Vista Way. As Reyes Miranda was driving, his car veered off the road, smashed through a bus stop and rolled over. Gerardo Chacon, the passenger of the vehicle, was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car due to the impact. He died immediately. Miranda was badly injured and had to be taken to the hospital. After being released, he was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving.

Unfortunately for Miranda, it is possible that he will have to spend a long period of time in prison. Both of these boys were under 21, therefore were not legally allowed to be drinking. In cases where someone is under 21, a blood alcohol level of even a .01% qualifies as being over the legal limit and can result in a DUI. If you are not 21 yet, do not drink or you will face charges and steep punishments. Additionally, do not drive while intoxicated. Besides prison time, Miranda faces required alcohol education classes and a revoked license.

Whether you live in Orange, San Clemente or Brea, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you in fighting your charges.

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Last week, Sherri Lee Chinn was driving on Highway 1, which is just north of Santa Cruz, when her car went from the southbound lane to the northbound lane. A man driving a motorcycle, Jose Absalon Barrientos, was hit head-on and died immediately. Passengers of a car in front of Chinn’s car also got hit and were badly injured. Drivers stopped to help the accident victims and could smell the alcohol coming from Chinn. Officers arrived and after testing her, realized her blood alcohol level was at a .24% (three times the legal limit). All the injured people were taken to the hospital where another victim died. Chinn was arrested and faces charges of vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

If Chinn is convicted of all these charges, she can face up to life in prison. Often times, people do not know that they are drunk because they have consumed just one or two alcoholic beverages. If a person’s blood alcohol level is at a .24%, as in this case, the person has consumed far more than just a few drinks. If you are unsure about driving, call a cab or a friend to drive you home. Besides prison time, Chinn will likely have to take alcohol education classes and will have her license suspended for even longer. Whether you live in Stanton, Brea or Laguna Niguel, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney to assist you.

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Around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, Julian Martinez was driving drunk in Roseville, California. He accidentally fell asleep at the wheel and veered from the east bound to the west bound lane. He hit a van head on. The driver of the van, Manuel Espinoza, was killed immediately. The passengers Enedina Espinoza and her son David Espinoza were critically injured and were taken to the hospital. Martinez was arrested on the scene and is expected to be charged with felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges.

During holiday weekends, more people drink and drive, leading to more DUI accidents. Unfortunately for the Espinoza family, Martinez decided to drive even though he was intoxicated. If you are intoxicated and need a ride home home, call a taxi cab, take the bus or ask your friend for a ride home. Do not put anyone’s life in danger. Whether you live in Fullerton, Newport Beach or Santa Ana, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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Robert Martinez was arrested earlier this week for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and for vehicular manslaughter. Around 1 a.m., Martinez was driving on I-10 near a construction zone. Surrounding drivers slowed down to around 15 m.p.h., but Martinez kept up his high speed of 80-90 m.p.h. He hit the left rear corner of the pick up truck in front of him which tore into the car. His car then spun out of control and was hit by another pick up truck and then hit the center divider. The passenger in Martinez’s car was killed. Martinez was injured so he was taken to the hospital and then arrested for DUI manslaughter.

It us such a tragedy that Martinez’s passenger, his own friend, was killed. Martinez will have to live with this for the rest of his life. This was such a high impact crash that Martinez was lucky to survive the crash. He will likely face prison time, revoked license, probation, fines and alcohol education classes. Whether you live in Irvine, Newport Beach or San Clemente, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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In April of this year, Felipe Navarro Orona was driving on the I-5 freeway in Anaheim at 3 a.m. He was severely intoxicated and started driving in the shoulder lane. Jose Castellanos and Joe Rodriguez were in the shoulder lane fixing a flat tire when Orona came crashing into them. Castellano died at the scene due to blunt force trauma to the head and Rodriguez was badly injured. Officers noted that Orona appeared intoxicated due to his slurred speech and bloodshot and watery eyes. Police tested his blood alcohol level two hours after the incident and his blood alcohol level was at a .15%. This is almost double the legal limit. He was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence while intoxicated with a sentencing enhancement for great bodily harm. He pled guilty to these charges and faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison.

With a legal limit at almost double the legal limit, two hours after the crash, it is hard to imagine how high his alcohol level was at the time of the accident. Being a DUI defense attorney, I often hear my client say they drove because they didn’t know they were that intoxicated. This excuse would likely not work in a case like this since anyone at a .15% or above should know they are too drunk to drive. Other possible defenses include improper blood alcohol results, road conditions and police misconduct. Whether you live in Irvine, Santa Ana or Laguna Woods, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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On January 12, 2008 at 10 a.m., Tomeka Charee Harris fell asleep at the wheel while under the influence of a methamphetamine. She lost control of her car as she was exiting an off ramp at a high rate of speed and crashed into a fence and a utility pole. Harris, her boyfriend and her 2-year-old daughter were all rushed to the hospital. Her daughter, Zharia Keheian, and her boyfriend, Alfred Flores, had been killed. She was arrested for vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act and gross negligence while intoxicated. She was charged with these crimes and pled guilty to both of them this week. She is expected to be sentenced to 6 years in prison, in return for her guilty plea.

It is always a serious reality check when someone drives drunk and kills someone. They are normally given some form of punishment that reminds them not to do it again. In Harris’ case, everyday she has to live with the thought of killing her daughter and boyfriend. Killing someone can be a serious consequence of driving while under the influence and anyone who drives while intoxicated risks killing themselves or someone else. Whether you live in Santa Ana, Newport Beach or Lake Forest, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away to assist you.

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At 3 a.m. on Monday morning, Jessica Shekell was driving west on the eastbound FasTrak lane of the 91 freeway in Anaheim. Drivers called 911 to report a car driving against the flow of traffic. About 6 minutes later, the Miguel Family of San Bernardino was driving along the same freeway. Shekell slammed into their car and the driver, Sally Miguel was killed instantly. Patricia Miguel, who was in the front seat and her two nieces were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Patricia died in the hospital. Shekell was taken to the hospital as well and doctors and officers believed that she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

Shekell is only 21-years-old and probably did not know the affects of alcohol on her body. Unfortunately for her, she may face prison time for her negligent actions. She should have known better than to drink and drive. Whether you live in Westminster, Laguna Niguel or Brea, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away.

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On Wednesday night, 80-year-old Edelgard Owens was riding her bicycle on the sidewalk of East Imperial Highway in Yorba Linda. She started to cross Prospect Avenue when a white pick-up truck slammed into her. She was immediately taken to the hospital, but was pronounced dead. Initially, there was speculation that Owens did not have the right to cross at that time. Later, that was ruled out after officers interviewed the driver of the truck and realized she may have been driving under the influence. After issuing field sobriety tests, officers realized she was intoxicated and arrested her under suspicion of DUI manslaughter.

It is unfortunate that a woman had to die because of another’s negligence. Regardless if the traffic light was red for the bicyclist, if there was an accident and officers found out that the driver was drunk, she would still get a DUI. Sentences for DUI manslaughter range from probation to years in prison. Whether you live in Villa Park, Lake Forest or Anaheim, if you are charged with DUI manslaughter, call an experienced DUI defense attorney right away.

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