After a person is involved in a fatal car accident, they unfortunately must prepare for the possibility of a criminal investigation or charge against them.
While it is stressful enough for a motorist to live with the emotional guilt of accidentally killing another person, the public as well as authorities are often looking for someone to punish after a fatal accident.
Police and prosecutors may look to file a manslaughter charge against the responsible driver. If authorities suspect that the driver was intoxicated, they may use an intoxication manslaughter charge.
Both charges are serious felonies that could land a person in prison for 20 years. They also come with fines of up to $10,000.
Prosecutors may file an intoxication manslaughter charge if a person drives drunk or drugged and causes a deadly accident. A person may face a charge even if they did not intend to cause on accident or did not honestly believe they were too drunk to drive.
A Beaumont resident would not have to have any history of drunk driving, or any criminal history at all, to face this charge. In short, a simple error in judgment that many otherwise upstanding Texans make can end in a felony charge.
Even if alcohol or drugs were not involved, a motorist responsible for a fatal accident may still face a manslaughter charge. For example, police and prosecutors may accuse the driver of excessive speed or being on their phone at the time of the accident.
Those accused of manslaughter after a collision should know their options
As with any criminal case, those accused of a crime following a fatal accident will want to understand their rights and options.
Police and prosecutors are obligated to follow the law at all stages of their investigation, and prosecutors must be able to prove their charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Defenses may be available to those accused.