Most any driver has been in an experience where he or she was unsure of which direction to go or the correct path to take. Unsure of an area, a motorist may end up taking a wrong turn, resulting in an embarrassing, potentially dangerous mistake. Unfortunately, one woman in Illinois now faces a DUI charge after a serious accident allegedly related to driving the wrong way.
The accident happened in the early morning hours of a day in November. Police claim that a 22-year-old driver was headed north in the south lanes. Unfortunately, her car allegedly hit another car head-on. The 29-year-old driver of the second car reportedly had to be extricated from her vehicle.
Both drivers were transported to the hospital for treatment. Although the second driver reportedly suffered serious injuries, she is expected to survive. The first driver was treated for what were described as minor injuries. She now faces charges related to reckless driving and driving under the influence.
It is unclear at this time how Illinois officials determined that the woman was under the influence of alcohol or what her blood alcohol content may have been at the time of the accident. While the circumstances of the accident may lead police to assume that she had been drinking, an assumption doesn’t meet the high burden of proof required by the criminal justice system to obtain a guilty verdict. As in all criminal cases, including those involving a DUI charge, prosecutors must provide sufficient evidence to prove that the woman is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Failure to do so must result in a finding of not guilty.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Woman charged with DUI in wrong-way crash on I-55“, Deanese Williams-Harris, Nov. 10, 2014