Orlando Woman Facing DUI Manslaughter Charge

A 36-year-old woman who was already facing a charge of vehicular homicide is now facing an additional charge of DUI manslaughter for a fatal accident that occurred on July 19th. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced the new charge following the release of the woman’s lab results. The lab tests confirmed that the woman’s BAC was 0.295, over three times the legal limit. The defendant has been in custody since July 24th for causing a crash that resulted in the death of her friend and passenger, and injured two of her children. She had previously been charged with vehicular homicide for traveling 70 mph in a 30 mph zone. The police likely extracted the defendant’s blood and waited to file DUI manslaughter charges until the tox screen came back positive.

The judge presiding over her case attributed the death of her friend and the injury of her children to the defendant’s poor life choices: “Tiffany West was already facing the vehicular homicide charge due to the poor decision to drive over 70mph in a 30mph zone. This new charge is for her poor decision to drink and drive. Alicia Carmona lost her life because of Tiffany’s poor choices, and the two children who were also in the car that night were also injured and lost their mother,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Can I be charged with both vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter? 

Not for the same crime. In this case, police suspected that the defendant was drunk at the scene of the vehicle crash. But they had no proof. They did have proof of excessive speeding and reckless driving, however, so they charged her with vehicular homicide and waited for the test results to come in. The defendant’s test results showed that she was under the influence of alcohol when she caused the accident that resulted in the death of her passenger. So, she was subsequently charged with DUI manslaughter. The prosecutors will likely opt to pursue the DUI manslaughter charge since it is easier to prove.

Understanding the charges 

The defendant has been charged with DUI manslaughter for the death of her friend. This is the most serious DUI-related charge that you can face. It is considered a second-degree felony and has a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars. Its recommended sentencing range is about 10 years. It has a mandatory minimum sentence, with downward departure, of 4 years in prison. So, if this defendant is convicted on the charges, she will spend at least the next four years behind bars.

Talk to an Orlando DUI Attorney Today 

FL DUI Group represents the interests of Orlando-area residents who have been charged with DUI or a DUI-related offense. Call our Florida DUI defense lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your defense right away.

Source:

tampafp.com/polk-county-orlando-woman-faces-additional-dui-manslaughter-charge-in-fatal-davenport-crash/