Tragedy on I-5 Linked to DUI

As a Lynnwood DUI Attorney, I know that drinking a driving is a horrible mistake that can cause terrible consequences. However, I also know that the public opinion towards DUI defendants is so skewed that it’s nearly impossible for them to get a fair trial. In many cases, if the conduct is sensational enough, the conduct is judged before the case is even charged.

Take for example, this morning’s crash outside Everett.

From The Seattle PI:

Investigators say a crash that killed a man on Interstate 5 in Everett early Monday was caused by a drunken driver.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary said a man driving a pickup truck in the southbound lanes of the freeway drifted out of his lane about 2:30 a.m. and slammed into an empty flatbed truck that was parked on the shoulder of the highway.

The passenger in the pickup truck died at the scene, and the driver was taken to Providence Colby Hospital.

Leary said the driver was believed to be drunk at the time of the crash, and investigators found several open beer containers in the wrecked truck.

No one was inside the flatbed truck that was hit.

Troopers shut down two of the southbound lanes of I-5 at the crash scene near the Everett Mall for several hours while they collected evidence and worked to clear the vehicles.

Leary said the crash was one of 60 suspected drunken driving cases troopers dealt with over the weekend.

“This is why we’re out here every single day, to get these folks out and off the road so something like this doesn’t happen,” he said.

The driver was expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of vehicular homicide when he is released from the hospital.

The name of the man who was killed has not been released.

Here’s the problem with this article. The driver is in the hospital right now – we have no idea what (if anything) his blood alcohol content was. And linking the crash immediately to DUI poisons the potential jury that may or may not preside over this man’s case. What ever happened to innocent unless proven otherwise? Apparently the freedom of the press trumps that right.

Regardless, if YOU find yourself on the other side of a DUI allegation, call Lynnwood DUI Attorney Jonathan Dichter – who understands how a DUI can affect the rest of your life – and is willing and able to work hard to prevent it from doing so. He offers a FREE CONSULTATION at 425-424-9401.

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