A DUI arrest can have serious ramifications on a person’s life. When the person suspected of driving under the influence has a child in the vehicle, the consequences can be exponentially worse.
A 32-year-old Maryland woman was arrested on July 26 on Route 50 and charged with DUI and other offenses. The arrest by state troopers followed several phone calls to authorities about the woman’s erratic driving as she traveled eastbound. She was reportedly going more than 100 mph at one point. Witnesses also said that the woman was hitting guard rails as she was driving.
She was stopped by an employee with the state’s Office of Comptroller. It wasn’t reported how that person was able to get the woman to stop. However, troopers arrested her shortly after that. They said that she seemed to be impaired.
The woman’s 3-year-old son was in the car at the time. Child Protective Services reportedly turned the boy over to a friend of the woman’s.
In Maryland, a person convicted of a DUI with one or more children in the vehicle can face as long as two years in prison and a potential $2,000 fine. That increases to three years and $3,000 for a second conviction and four years and $4,000 after that.
The penalties are harsh when there are minor passengers because impaired drivers are endangering children as well as others on the road. Even when children escape uninjured, the experience can be traumatic.
If you are arrested for DUI, regardless of the circumstances, it’s essential to understand the potential penalties that the justice system and the Motor Vehicle Association (MVA) can impose. An experienced Maryland DUI attorney can you present your case and protect your rights.
