Drinking and driving is a hazard to yourself and others, which is part of the reason why it’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. Not all people who appear intoxicated are, though, so it’s important for the appropriate tests to be taken to determine if your BAC is actually over the limit.
Take, for example, this case. The woman’s BAC is not known, but she is accused of drunk driving. The woman in Portsmouth has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after she called the police to report others who had road rage. According to the story from March 27, the woman was driving when callers stated that she was striking the curb and swerving in traffic. Despite that, she was actually the one who called the police claiming that there had been a road-rage incident. She allegedly had extreme signs that she was impaired at the time of the call and was not able to tell police where her vehicle was damaged.
The woman, 34, stopped her vehicle in the middle of the road, which blocked traffic. When the police arrived, they spoke to her and charged her with driving under the influence. Her blood alcohol concentration was not known.
It’s an unusual story that someone intoxicated would call the police for assistance, but it’s not unheard of. Despite that, if you’re accused of a crime when you may not have actually been intoxicated, it’s worth reaching out to develop a defense. The right steps do have to be taken before you can be charged and convicted; failing to follow those steps could result in the case being dismissed.
Source: Providence Journal, “Portsmouth woman charged with DUI after ‘road rage’ report,” March 27, 2018