House Party Results in Four Injuries, DUI Arrest
An Orlando teenager who hit four other teenagers on his way out of a house party has been charged with one count of DUI with serious bodily injury after he caused permanent injuries to one of the party guests. Now, the host of the party has also been charged.
Florida’s social host and dram shop laws heavily favor hosts and dram shops. In other words, it’s very difficult to hold a social host liable for the injuries caused by a third party. One of the main exceptions to this rule is when the social host provides alcohol to underage people. The host, who is also in high school, is now facing charges of burglary, criminal use of personal identification, and giving alcohol to minors.
16-Year-Old Faces Serious Criminal Charges
The 16-year-old who drunkenly struck four others on his way out of the house party is facing serious charges. These include:
- Simple DUI
- (2) counts of DUI with property damage
- (3) counts of DUI with bodily injury
- (1) count of DUI with serious bodily injury
- (2) counts of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage
- (3) counts of leaving the scene of an accident with bodily injury
- (1) count of leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury
Host Faces Serious Charges for Hosting the Party
The teenager who hosted the party rented the house under a false name and gained access to the house without authorization. For that reason, he is charged with the criminal use of personal identification and burglary causing more than $1,000 of property damage to the vacation home he illegally rented.
The victim who suffered serious bodily injuries is expected to survive, but she will require additional surgeries. The driver was apparently unaware that he had struck her and dragged her 450 feet from the place where she was first hit. Her injuries are severe. In cases where a DUI crash results in serious bodily injury, judges are required to impose a sentence of 51 months in prison. The judge is also allowed to consider extenuating circumstances that may allow for a downward departure. In cases like these, the court almost always imposes mandatory prison time because the defendant fled the scene of the accident after causing serious injury to others.
While the defendant’s age will certainly be a consideration in any conviction (they were only 16 at the time of the incident) and the court will probably not want to place a 16-year-old in state prison, the defendant will suffer major life-long consequences as a result of this incident just as the girl who he injured.
Talk to an Orlando DUI Attorney Today
If you’re facing DUI charges in Orlando, then you need an experienced advocate who can minimize the damage to your future. Call the Florida DUI defense attorneys at the FL DUI Group today to learn more about how we can help.
Resource:
dailyridge.com/en/2021/01/27/polk-detectives-arrest-teen-who-hosted-an-open-house-party-last-july-that-ended-with-four-other-teens-being-injured/
