Just to illustrate, let's say you've been accused of not only driving while under the influence; you've also been accused of causing injury to another person. In that case, you're probably facing a charge of vehicular assault. In Tennessee, for you to be convicted of DUI assault, a prosecutor will have to prove that alcohol -- and your being intoxicated by it -- was the proximate cause of the other person's injury.
However, even if you were under the influence of alcohol when a collision occurred, those circumstances alone are not sufficient to prove that your being intoxicated was the proximate cause of the injury. You should speak with a DUI defense attorney if you ever find yourself accused of vehicular assault.
In the meantime, consider a recent incident in Donelson.
At about 3 a.m. on April 10, a man was apparently planning to do what many people in the Nashville area do: get a bite to eat at a local Waffle House. However, he didn't make it inside the building, at least not as he intended.
Witnesses reported seeing his truck crash into the Waffle House, and one of the customers inside suffered minor injuries.
A local report indicates that the driver tried to back up after the crash, but the truck was stuck. For their part, police claim that the driver admitted to drinking at a nearby bar prior to the collision.
The exact charge against the driver wasn't reported, nor were the results of any field sobriety tests or blood-alcohol tests. However, it was said that the man was attempting to park his truck when he accidentally accelerated.
Of course, until a court makes its ruling, the outcome of this case remains to be seen.
Source: WBTW.com, "1 hurt when DUI driver crashes truck into Waffle House, police say," April 10, 2014
