Last week, a woman was sentenced to two and-a-half to five years in prison for homicide by vehicle while DUI, according to the Pocono News.
Lauren Phillips, 25, was convicted of a number of other crimes including DUI, accidents involving death or injury while not properly licensed and driving without a license.
The accident that caused the DUI death occurred on November 22, 2007, in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. While Ms. Phillips was driving on Welcome Lake Road, she allegedly lost control of her vehicle, and her car slammed into a tree. During the accident, one of the passengers that was in the car with her passed away from his injuries in the collision.
When Ms. Phillips' blood was tested, in addition to there being marijuana in her system, her BAC level registered at 0.217%. Since the legal limit for BAC in Pennsylvania is 0.08%, Ms. Phillips was over two times the legal limit. Also, police discovered that she did not have a valid license.
The Wayne Independent reported that one of her original charges included involuntary manslaughter. FindLaw explains that involuntary manslaughter can occur when a victim's death is unintended. More specifically, "an unintentional killing that results from recklessness or criminal negligence, or from an unlawful act that is a misdemeanor or low-level felony (such as DUI)."
Because Ms. Phillips' BAC registered at 0.217%, FindLaw explains that she would fall into the highest rate of alcohol category. For that conviction alone, a person would face between three days and six months in jail, between $500 and $5,000 in fines, Alcohol Safety School and participation in a Drug and Alcohol Assessment.
For more information on DUI or criminal penalties, you are welcome to explore the related resources that are listed below.
Related Resources:
- Pennsylvania DUI Penalties (FindLaw)
- Driving Without A Valid Driver's License (FindLaw)
- Involuntary Manslaughter (Law Brain)
- Pennsylvania DUI Attorney Directory (FindLaw)
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