An Oklahoma judge sentenced a 25-year-old Norman man to 12 years in prison for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving on the wrong side of Interstate 235, causing an accident that killed a 24-year-old Oklahoma City jazz singer on her way home from a performance. The driver was traveling in the wrong direction on the Oklahoma roadway in 2010 when he sideswiped another vehicle, sending it crashing into a retaining wall and killing the passenger on impact. According to the police report, the driver had just completed probation related to a 2009 conviction for drunk driving. If you have been injured in an Oklahoma drunk driving accident, or if you lost a loved one in such an accident, our experienced DUI accident attorneys at AMA Law can help.
DEADLY OKLAHOMA DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT
In addition to a 12-year sentence, the convicted offender in the OK DUI accident also received eight years of probation after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the drunk driving traffic collision that killed the Oklahoma City woman. He also pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of another accident and of causing an accident while under the influence of alcohol. This conviction is the Norman man’s second arrest for drunk driving. Back in 2009, he pleaded guilty to drunk driving and received a deferred sentence. He had only been off probation for two days when he caused the fatal DUI accident in 2010, in which his blood alcohol content (BAC) was nearly three times the legal limit.
The woman who was killed in the accident was a passenger in the car that was struck by the drunk driver, causing the victim’s car to spin around and slam into a retaining wall. According to troopers who responded to the DUI accident, the drunk driver ignored several opportunities to change direction before colliding with the vehicle, and continued driving in the wrong direction even after causing an oncoming car to swerve out of the way and crash into a concrete barrier. Police believed the convicted offender passed by five exits before causing the deadly accident.
OUR DUI ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS CAN HELP
Unfortunately, drunk driving and DUI-caused accidents are not uncommon in Oklahoma, and the victims of these deadly accidents are the ones who typically pay the price. In 2008 alone, 244 people were killed in Oklahoma accidents where at least one driver had a BAC of 0.08% or above. In Oklahoma, the legal limit for BAC is 0.08%, which means any person operating a motor vehicle with a BAC above the legal limit could be arrested for drunk driving. If you suffered injuries or a loved one of yours was killed in a senseless drunk driving accident in Oklahoma, contact our skilled DUI accident lawyers at AMA Law to discuss your legal options.