Utah Vehicular Homicide
In most scenarios people would not agree with charging an individual with homicide because they were in a car accident. As drivers we understand the dangers associated with the road and we take on those risks because of the benefits of automobile travel. However, in one area of the law two different areas of the law meet and a person can be charged with homicide as a result of being involved in a car accident. That area of law is automobile homicide, where murder and DUI meet. The basics of Utah’s automobile homicide statute, which is also referred to as vehicular homicide, states that if the driver causes the death of another while they are driving under the influence.
Applicable Laws
Under the automobile homicide laws the tests for driving under the influence are the same as a normal DUI charge. If a person is convicted of automobile homicide they will either be facing a third degree felony or a second degree felony if this is not their first automobile homicide conviction or if they were acting criminally negligent. Criminal negligence is a fuzzy area of the law that gives lawyers good leverage for their arguments. One of the things that make the crime of automobile homicide an especially harsh offense is that the accused can be charged with a separate count for each person that died in the accident, so an offender could easily be facing multiple charges of automobile homicide.
Defending Your Case
Obviously any crime with the word homicide in it is very serious and requires a serious legal defense. If you have been charged with automobile homicide call 801.823.1200 today, our lawyers will work tireless to protect your rights and will help you through this difficult time. We offer free consultations so you can come in and talk to one of our attorneys without any financial cost to you.
