Although accidents can happen at any time, those who are driving at night with low visibility and on few hours of sleep may be especially at risk. Unfortunately, accidents that may have been caused by fatigue may fall under the assumption that it was drunk driving related due to the time of the day accident occurs. One woman in Wisconsin was recently charged with drunk driving after she was reportedly involved in an accident that left her injured.
According to reports, the accident happened around 3 one morning on a day in mid-January. A female driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to strike several mailboxes before coming to a stop in the front yard of a house. The driver suffered a broken arm; both she and her passenger were transported to the hospital for treatment.
Police say that they discovered alcohol in the vehicle. The driver reportedly failed a field sobriety test, but it is unclear how the pain of her broken arm may have impacted her performance. She was taken into custody.
Unfortunately, it is easy to blindly accept the reports of a failed field sobriety test. However, there are a variety of different factors that could impact a person's ability to perform on such a test. For people just involved in an accident, pain and shock could have a significant impact. Additionally, errors in training personnel administering a breath test or calibration mistakes could result in inaccurate results regarding testing for blood alcohol content. People in Wisconsin accused of drunk driving often seek an attorney with experience with these assessments in order to help them make decisions regarding the direction of their cases.
Source: Oak Creek, WI Patch, "Oak Creek Police Find Vodka Orange Juice in Drunk Driver's Car", Scott Anderson, Jan. 24, 2017