With the driver causing the death of another person due to drunk driving, this raises the offense alleged to the level of what is called vehicular homicide, which is a form of voluntary manslaughter. Conviction on such a count can lead to a substantial prison term, which will be enhanced accordingly on repeat offenses. Defense counsel for an accused driver will be reviewing those and a host of criminal law issues arising from an accident that occurred in Lafayette recently.
It happened just after midnight when two or more vehicles were involved in a crash on Johnston Street. The police have not released the details or causes of the crash. The Lafayette Police have reported, however, that a 57-year-old man died in the accident and that three others were transported to local hospitals.
Police reported that a 26-year-old woman will be charged with drunk driving. They state that the investigation is continuing and that the circumstances of the accident remain uncertain. However, it is likely that the individual charged with the DUI violation will also receive more serious accusations under Louisiana law with respect to causing the victim’s death. A charge in the nature of vehicular homicide while drunk driving is the expected offense to be alleged against the woman under the circumstances. Criminal defense counsel must start the representation by making a thorough investigation of all of the details of what happened.