A West Virginia woman was recently convicted and sentenced for her role in a hit-and-run accident. The drunk driving incident is said to be responsible for the death of a pedestrian. Even though this woman has no prior criminal record, the state's laws regarding hit-and-run crashes are quite strict.
According to a recent report, a 24-year-old woman was sentenced to serve one to five years in prison for driving while intoxicated resulting in a fatality and fleeing the scene of the accident. This incident occurred just over a year ago in Dec. 2014. A 26-year-old male died as a result of the collision.
This woman pleaded guilty for failing to stop at the scene and no-contest to driving while impaired. On top of the prison sentence, she was ordered to serve a jail sentence of one year for her separate conviction of DUI-with-death. The jail term is to be served at the same time as her prison sentence.
Was this the best possible outcome for this case? Without knowing all of the details, it is tough to say; however, the charges filed against this woman were quite serious and could have possibly garnered a longer prison sentence and various other penalties. Those in West Virginia who have been accused of drunk driving-related hit-and-run accidents stand to lose quite a bit. As such, having an experienced criminal defense attorney on one's side can help the accused make informed decisions regarding the best actions to pursue for his or her case. For some, this may involve fighting the charges, and for others -- such as in this particular case -- entering plea agreements may provide optimal solutions.
Source: wvmetronews.com, "Berkeley County woman sentenced in hit and run death", Hans Fogle, Dec. 22, 2015