A car accident can happen at any time of day for a variety of different reasons. In addition to inattention, an accident can be caused by driver confusion or due to a medical condition. However, if a crash occurs at a certain time of day -- such as during the early morning hours -- police and other officials may be quick to believe that a driver was under the influence of alcohol without looking at other possible factors. Unfortunately, one woman was recently charged with drunk driving after an accident caused significant damage to her vehicle.
The incident happened at approximately 2 a.m. one morning in December. According to reports, the 51-year-old woman was traveling the wrong direction in the east lanes of a Wisconsin interstate. She reportedly crashed head-on into an eastbound snow plow.
The collision caused major damage to her vehicle with reports indicating that it was ripped in two, with her engine reportedly lying in one lane of the interstate. Although unresponsive when rescue workers arrived, she was breathing. After she was transported to the hospital, police say she indicated that she had been performing karaoke with friends prior to the accident. She now faces criminal charges, including driving under the influence. If convicted of the charges against her, she could spend 10 years in prison.
It is unclear how Wisconsin officials determined that the woman was under the influence of alcohol and what her blood alcohol content was at the time of the crash. Although the time of day and the woman's reported activities prior to the accident might lead a police officer to assume that she was engaged in drunk driving, such assumptions do not prove guilt. In all criminal cases, there must be sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: Greenfield, WI Patch, "OMG PD: Wrong-way Drunk Driver Crashes into Snow Plow on Freeway; Vehicle Torn in Two", Scott Anderson, Dec. 12, 2016