MICHIGAN MAN FACING OWI CHARGES AFTER ACCIDENT

by Van Den Heuvel Law Office

People in Grand Rapids are pulled over for driving under the influence every day, just as they are anywhere else. However, sometimes, people are mistakenly charged with offenses that are unfounded. Other times, although the evidence can appear to lead to one conclusion, when it is looked at under a different light, that same evidence can lead someone to believe something entirely different. It’s important to realize that just because people are charged with a drunk driving offense, it doesn’t mean they are guilty. 

A Michigan man has been arrested and charged for operating while intoxicated after he was reportedly involved in a serious accident that sent a passenger in his vehicle to the hospital. The 27-year-old man from Kingsley was allegedly driving a pickup truck while he was intoxicated when the truck slammed into a utility pole and ended up in a ditch. The man is also facing a charge of leaving the scene of an injury accident. 

According to authorities, officers arrested the man outside of the same medical center where his alleged passenger was being treated for injuries she sustained in the crash. According to court papers, preliminary reports indicated that the woman had been injured in a crash that involved an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Despite the early reports that the 20-year-old woman from Buckley was hurt in an ATV crash, she reportedly told officers that she had been hurt as a passenger in a crash involving a pickup.  

Officers later found an unoccupied pickup truck with serious damage in a ditch in nearby East Bay Township. According to officers they found a trail of footprints leading from the truck to the road where it appeared the occupants had entered another vehicle. 

Although the evidence might appear to incriminate the man who was arrested, there are several unanswered questions. There were no reports as to whether or not authorities had any physical evidence that the man was actually intoxicated, or that he was even driving the truck when it crashed. Often, evidence can look bad on the surface, but in actuality it is mostly circumstantial. 

This is exactly the type of situation in which an experienced OWI/DUI defense attorney can help. In cases like this an attorney might be able to get the case thrown out due to a lack of solid proof. Likewise, if the officers didn’t follow proper procedure throughout the investigation, that could also lead to the charges being dropped. An attorney would know what to look for if any of these things occurred. 

Anyone who has been arrested and/or charged with a drunk driving offense in Grand Rapids should know his or her rights. People are innocent until proven guilty, no matter the charges or the evidence. Therefore, if you are facing OWI charges, then it is probably in your best interest to contact us today at the Van Den Heuvel Law Office at 616-698-0000, or click here to contact us online.

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