Fatal Potomac Accident Involving Teenagers and Underage Drinking

           Late Thursday night, two Wooton High School students who just graduated last month, were tragically killed in a car crash on Dufief Mill Road in Potomac, Maryland.  The two teens that lost their lives in the accident, Alexander Murk and Calvin Jia-Xing Li, were in the car with Samuel Ellis, who was driving.  Ellis, the star quarterback for Wooton, was injured in the crash and remains in critical condition.  A fourth passenger was also injured in the crash, but only suffered minor injuries.

            

          Police have been investigating this accident for days now and are still trying to figure out how these teens obtained alcohol and if any adults are at fault for supplying alcohol to minors.  Police believe the teens were at a party where underage drinking took place and then the boys got into the car and drove away.  Ellis lost control of the car and Murk and Li, who were not wearing seatbelts, died in the crash.  Police did come to the party and cited eight teenagers for underage drinking.

            

          Underage drinking occurs on a daily basis and sadly, many of these underage teens get behind the wheel of a car, putting their life and the lives of others at risk for serious injury or death.  Adding insult to injury, many teenagers fail to wear a seatbelt in the car, which drastically increases the chances of serious injury or death when involved in an accident.  The only thing we can do is continue to warn teens about the effects of drinking and driving and not wearing a seatbelt.  Parents are in the best position to educate their teenagers about these things and to set certain rules to try and prevent alcohol-related accidents as best they can.

            

          AAA recently released results from a study which show more than half of all crashes involving teen drivers are caused by distractions.  Some of the most common distractions include texting while driving and other passengers in the car.  When alcohol and driving is combined with several passengers in a vehicle, a serious car accident is likely to occur.  Distractions on their own cause numerous accidents on the road, but when the driver is also driving under the influence of alcohol, the likelihood of a crash increases dramatically. 

          If you or a family member has been arrested for a DUI in Rockville, Maryland and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on drunk driving cases please feel free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 and schedule an appointment at our office in Rockville or throughout Maryland, or visit us on the web at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Criminal-Defense/DWI-DUI/

Proposed Drunk Driving Bill in Maryland Would Include Stiffer Penalties

             Legislation has been proposed in the Maryland General Assembly that would toughen restrictions for people convicted of driving under the influence (DUI).  Several committee members (14 of 22) have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.  If the bill were to pass, it would require all those drivers convicted of a DUI with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 or more to use an ignition interlock device in order to start their vehicles.  Current Maryland law only requires drivers convicted of a DUI with a BAC of 0.15 or more to use the breathalyzer device before starting their car.

             Unfortunately, this bill was on the list of legislation to be voted on Tuesday night, but “was removed without explanation.”  In order for the bill to pass, it would need to pass out of committee, which seems less likely at this point.  Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) advocates thought the bill had a strong chance of passing because of the support of so many members as co-sponsors. 

             A drunk driving law with such tough penalties is quite common.  Twenty-one other states include mandatory use of ignition interlock devices for all drivers convicted of a DUI, regardless of the BAC.  Maryland’s Judiciary Committee Chairman Delegate Joseph F. Vallario Jr. believes the state “does not…need to toughen the state’s ignition-lock program.”  Vallario thinks, “We’ve done enough with that…We have one of the best [ignition-lock] programs in the country, and we think it works well.”

              If you have been arrested for a DUI/DWI it is important that you consult an experienced Maryland DUI attorney immediately because DUI is a criminal offense and carries potentially severe penalties.  An experienced attorney can guide you through the court process and find any possible defenses that can either mitigate the penalties in the case, or in some instances, lead to an acquittal or dismissal. 

            If you or a family member has been charged with DUI or DWI in Maryland and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on DUI or DWI please feel free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 or visit us on the web at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Criminal-Defense/DWI-DUI/