A 23-year-old Houston man was recently slapped with a criminal charge for a drunk driving accident that caused fatal injuries. The alleged incident of driving while intoxicated has also resulted in the man facing hard questions about his immigration status.
According to authorities at the Houston Police Department, the man struck a Chevrolet pickup truck on the driver’s side as it was crossing a Houston intersection just after 3 a.m. on a recent Monday morning. The man was also driving a truck, allegedly at an unsafe speed.
Texas officials suspect that the man may not have even seen the other vehicle. They could not find any skid marks on the scene, which might suggest that the man attempted to brake or avoid the drunk-driving collision. Unfortunately, the man’s victim — an off-duty police officer in his personal vehicle — sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
Intoxication Manslaughter
Authorities took the man to a local hospital, where a blood sample was taken. The results of the test have not been released. Presumably, however, the man’s blood alcohol content will be an issue at his subsequent criminal trial, where he faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter. The man’s sentencing may also be increased because of his previous criminal record: He was arrested for a different DWI in 2012, as well as unlawfully carrying a weapon.
Yet the man’s legal problems do not end there. Authorities also discovered that the man might not be authorized to reside in the United States. Even if an experienced criminal defense attorney is able to negotiate a plea bargain with the court regarding the man’s felony DWI charge, the man may face additional challenges in a subsequent immigration hearing.
Source: kens5.com, “Houston-area sheriff’s deputy killed in crash with DWI suspect,” May 20, 2013
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