Louisiana School Bus Driver Charged with DWI with Students on Board
fLafayette, LA- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is wrong under any circumstance and, if arrested, a person faces some serious legal consequences. Those consequences get even worse if an impaired motorist has a child or children in their vehicle, something one Louisiana woman will soon learn after her recent arrest.
KSLA reports that 52-year-old woman driving a school bus was stopped by Zachary police after she was observed driving erratically around 7 a.m. One witness told police the driver, identified as Darlene Crain crossed over the center line a couples of times.
When police pulled Crain over, she was unsteady on her feet and was slurring her speech. She also performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest.
Results from chemical test will take weeks, but Crain told police she had taken Xanax, Percocet and Ativan between midnight and 3 a.m. Friday, according to Bayou Buzz.
According to KSLA, there were at least 12 students on the bus ranging in age from 14 –years-old to 18-years-old. She was charged with DWI, improper lane usage and 12 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Luckily, the bus was not involved in a crash. That’s good for the students and Crain, however, it won’t make the charges she is facing any less serious.
Driving under the influence of prescription and illegal drugs is on the rise. A 2014 study from the University of Utah found between 1993 and 2010, drugged driving increased from 11.5 percent to 21.5 percent, respectively. According to the study, approximately 1 in 5 motorists are using multiple drugs at one.
Having a prescription for a drug is not give a person a free pass if they drive while impaired by that drug and with children present the penalties get worse. Many prescription drugs have no impairing effect on the taker, but there are scores that do. A person who takes a prescription drug that has a mind-altering affect or makes a motorist incapable of driving safely. If you find yourself up against DWI charges involving prescription drugs, you should contact a DWI lawyer in Louisiana to provide you with an outstanding defense.
Far too many DWI offenders fail to take their DWI charges seriously; they have this misconception that they won’t get in trouble because they had a prescription or they don’t need legal help. This is not true and it’s unwise to make any decisions before speaking with a lawyer about the consequences you face and the best defense strategy to pursue.
At USAttorneys, we have a team of DWI lawyers serving Louisiana who can help shed some light on the legal troubles you are facing and explain how they can help. They understand how the state’s DWI laws and will use their knowledge to your benefit so that have a better chance of avoiding the worst penalties. Contact one of attorneys today and set up a time to talk about your case, so you can make a smart decision about your case.
