Creating Own Black Ice to Blame DUI Crash On = Bad Idea

Pittsburgh’s own Randy Pausch (author of “The Last Lecture”) famously said, “No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse.” While it is great advice for life in general, it’s something this Morgantown criminal defense lawyer believes is equally fitting for DUI defense.

I’ve handled hundreds of DUI defense cases in Morgantown (and beyond) and can tell you unequivocally that some of those clients did themselves no favors by acting out after being arrested for suspected drinking and driving. Some rules of thumb for those who might not be familiar with what I’m talking about: Don’t swear at the police. Don’t flee from the police. Don’t, at any point, yell something like, “Do you know who I am? I will have your job!” And don’t try to recreate a crash scene, like two guys from Jersey did recently.

Here’s what happened: A 20-something guy allegedly blows a stop sign, crashes into a guardrail, and then called his friend for help… creating an ice patch on the road. Yes, the friend (who apparently was not wearing a shirt at the time, despite winter weather) showed up in his own car flanked by a five-gallon bucket of water.

According to news reports, the pair ended up admitting the scheme to the police. Both were charged with DUI and other offenses. Again: One guy crashed. But thanks to not thinking, two guys ended up being charged. And as for that icy spot? News reports indicate that about a half-ton of salt was needed to melt the icy spot and make the throughway passable again. It doesn’t take a criminal defense attorney (or one who has handled hundreds of DUI defense cases) to know that these guys didn’t endear themselves to the cops or the court system with the stunt they pulled.

Source: Fox 5 – Police: Man created black ice to mask drunken-driving crash