Driver Dies on I285 in Atlanta on Saturday Morning

Atlanta Public Safety Headquarters

Atlanta, Ga. - According to reports off of I285 in Atlanta this past weekend, a driver was ejected from his vehicle during an accident.

Police received calls around 2:00 AM. Witnesses reported a fatal crash. They discovered the driver's body ejected from his vehicle. The investigation is still ongoing, however, it appears that the man lost control of his vehicle and hit a concrete barrier.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I will focus on the connection between accidents and charges of DUI in Atlanta. Even though the accident is still under investigation - many times when there is a serious accident involved drugs and alcohol might have been involved.

DUI and Accidents

Not every accident involves traffic violations - however, most of the time, officers attempt to find where one or both parties to the accident went wrong. When 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. 

Penalties 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 or weapons in the vehicle.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one - friend or family member - has been arrested for driving under the influence, call our offices now.