Driver Arrested After Fiery Accident in Norcross

Gwinnett County Police

Norcross, Ga. – The Gwinnett County Police Department has reported a driver has been arrested after being accused of crashing into a local apartment building, severing a gas line, and starting a fire that displaced dozens of people from their apartments this past week.

The crash happened this past Monday night. Police arrived on the scene to discover that the vehicle crashed into the side of the building which ignited a fire that completely engulfed several different apartment units. Gwinnett County has not released what charges the driver is facing.

Even though the driver's charges have not been released, as a Norcross DUI Lawyer, I will outline the correlation between accidents and charges of DUI in Norcross in today's post.

DUI and Accidents

If a driver is involved in a car accident, the accident itself can be used to support a DUI charge by showing that the driver was less safe to drive depending on the circumstances of the accident. A car accident may also frustrate a favorable negotiation with the prosecution. 

DUI penalties are likely to be more severe when a car accident is involved even when no person or property was injured or damaged. Also the accident itself can be used as an indication of less safe driving, which is an element of the DUI offense itself.

If an officer sees a driver in distress, the officer has legal cause to approach the vehicle and investigate and offer assistance.  The officer's primary duty is to aid all distressed drivers.  However while aiding those drivers, the officer can also investigate the cause of the accident and a possible DUI offense.  Also, the officer can charge the driver with anything he sees in plain view, such as drugs and marijuana found in the car.

Moreover, car accidents can lead to additional charges being filed against a driver.  These charges can include but are not limited to:

• Striking a Fixed Object
• Hit and Run
• Following Too Closely
• Failure to Maintain Lane

Practice Note

DUI charges are handled extremely harshly in the state of Georgia. There is no reason to face a DUI charge without experienced representation. We can help you with your case now.