Driver Crashes Vehicle into NW Atlanta Townhouse

Atlanta Municipal Court

Atlanta, Ga. - Officers with the Atlanta Police Department are searching for the driver of the car that crashed into the front of a townhouse early this morning.

According to investigators, there were five children in the home at the time of the collision. A resident claims to have witnessed the accident and told officers that a black SUV left the scene. That is the only information that has been released about the incident so far.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I've handled cases that involved both extreme property damage and DUI in Atlanta. These cases happen more frequently than people tend to think. However, sometimes, the reality is that the driver was not under the influence to the extent that he or she was a less safe driver as required by Georgia Law. The reality is that roads are dangerous - especially in Atlanta.

When a driver gets into an accident or is found at the scene of an accident, officers are obligated to begin an investigation as to what happened. This is what can lead to a DUI arrest.

In today's post, I will briefly walk through some of the steps involved in a typical DUI Investigation in Atlanta. Though, this does not mean that every DUI investigation will look this way - each case is different.

DUI Investigations in Atlanta

An officer's first impressions of a driver are what lead to DUI investigations. These factors include:

• Alcoholic beverage odor
• Watery or glazed eyes
• Slurred speech
• Agitation
• Fumbling
• Difficulty concentrating, etc.

This is what leads to the first phases of the investigation for DUI. Next, an officer will ask to see the Driver's License and for the driver to step out of the vehicle. All the while, the officer will be taking note of any other factors or clues that the driver might be under the influence.

Generally, an officer will then ask the suspected driver for their consent to perform some field sobriety tests in Atlanta. These tests are considered to be “standardized,” and officers use the results of these tests to interpret signs of impairment.

Then the officer will ask for consent to administer a state blood or breath test. The end result of the investigation is usually an arrest.

Practice Note

The most important fact out of this post is that just because a person displays signs that are interpreted as impairment does not mean that he or she is impaired. And just because a person does not perform the field sobriety tests well also does not necessarily mean that he or she is impaired.

As a firm, we have specialized in DUI Defense for decades. If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI in the City of Atlanta, call our offices today.