At the end of April, a 23-year-old man from East Greenville, Pennsylvania allegedly drove drunk and flipped his vehicle into the Perkioman Creek. Unfortunately, the passenger who was riding with the 23-year-old suffered a life-ending injury, and now the driver faces multiple criminal charges related to drunk driving.

According to police, the 23-year-old Pennsylvania man was driving under the influence without a license during the early morning of April 29. At some point the driver failed to negotiate the road and flipped the car into a local creek. Police arrived at the scene of the accident after a family came across the accident around 11:00 a.m.

A father, his son and his nephew discovered the partially submerged vehicle and immediately stopped to provide assistance. The father ran into difficulty providing help because the passenger door was jammed shut, but the man was able to open the driver’s side door. The man said, “As soon as we opened the door a hand came up out of the water, and I helped this young man out of the car.”

According to police, it was too late for anyone to help the passenger of the vehicle. Police also said that a partially full bottle of vodka floated out of the car when the passenger was removed from the vehicle.

The driver was rushed to a local hospital where his blood was drawn. According to police, the driver’s blood alcohol content was 0.12 percent about 12 hours after the accident occurred.

The 23-year-old was charged with DUI and careless driving and 13 other counts. Because of the passenger’s death, the driver was also charged with homicide by vehicle.

Individuals charged with DUI face serious penalties, an experienced criminal defense attorney can help those charged better understand the legal process and help ensure a penalty, if any is warranted, fits the facts.

Source: nbcphiladelphia.com, “Alleged Drunk Driver Charged in Deadly Creek Crash,” Dan Stamm and Lauren DiSanto, May 25, 2012