In Los Angeles, a vehicular manslaughter DUI charge can lead to tremendous amounts of jail time, a life of hardship and more. Only a skilled Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can properly defend you and keep you out of prison should you face a vehicular manslaughter DUI crime.
One recent case involved a vehicular manslaughter DUI charge involved an Irvine man whofinally pleaded guilty to killing a motorcyclist on the 55 freeway in 2005 while under the influence of alcohol. Youn Bum Lee was driving home from a karaoke party with coworkers four years ago when he smashed his SUV into the freeway divider. Because Lee was driving with his headlights turned off, a motorcyclist behind him crashed into the wreck and was thrown from his bike into oncoming traffic, dying as a result of his injuries. Lee reportedly left the scene of the accident that night, then boarded a flight to South Korea the very next day. Lee was arrested in South Korea in 2008 and brought back to the United States in January of 2009. Lee has admitted to authorities that before climbing into his vehicle the night of the fatal accident, he and his coworkers had consumed as many as 14 bottles of Korean rice wine before having several more drinks at the karaoke bar. Lee could be sentenced to state prison for up to nine years when he appears before a judge on December 7th.
In Los Angeles, reckless or negligent driving which results in the death of another person is considered vehicular manslaughter DUI, and is a very serious criminal offense. While Lee admitted to drinking heavily before his accident, drivers do not actually need to be under the influence of alcohol to be charged with vehicular manslaughter. Speeding, racing, falling asleep behind the wheel or even texting or talking on a cell phone can all cause major traffic accidents that could potentially claim someone's life. Vehicular manslaughter in connection with the consumption of alcohol is a doubly serious crime in Los Angeles and is almost always classified as a felony criminal offense that can land you in a California state prison for between four and 10 years.
If you have been charged with vehicular manslaughter DUI, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP right away. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience in defending against DUI charges of all types. An experienced Los Angeles DUI defense attorney knows that road or weather conditions play a large part in causing many accidents, and that breath tests and even blood tests for alcohol consumption are not always as accurate as they should be. Call today to find out what your options are, at 877-781-1570.
