Driver Under the Influence in Wrongful Death Sentenced
Posted in Drunk Driving (DUI), Tuesday, June 29th, 2010According to the San Diego Union Tribune, a woman who was driving under the influence of prescription medication was sentenced to prison in connection to the fatal pedestrian accident of a woman on her way to work last year.
If you’re driving your car, you should always be clear headed and completely focused on the road. Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs — both top causes of car accidents — can make driving a lot more complicated because both hinder your motor skills and lower your reaction time. One split second miscalculation can lead to DUI car accidents causing injuries and wrongful death.
Sentence issued in wrongful death case involving driver under the influence of drugs.
Becky Marie Anderson, 45, plead guilty to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in connection with a November 23, 2009 DUI car accident that caused the wrongful death of 36-year-old Kristen Ann Bedard.
Anderson was given a 16 year sentence for that charge, a felony charge of driving under the influence causing injury and a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully being under the influence of a controlled substance.
According to details, Anderson told police she had gotten a dose of methadone — a strong painkiller — at a clinic in Escondido that morning and took other pills. Anderson later identified those pills as Valium the night before. She said the car accident happened as a result of distracted driving as she was trying to grab a piece of paper that was making noise in the car and took her eyes off the road.
Bedard was walking to work at Target at about 7 a.m. when she was hit and killed on Community Road south of Aubrey Street. Bedard’s family is understandably upset and took the opportunity in court to voice their opinions.
“You cannot imagine the amount of hate and disgust we have for you…,” the father said in court of Anderson. “You deserve a much stronger sentence.” The same gentleman called for uniformity in DUI laws across all states.
Anderson already had two previous convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1998 and 1999.
Our car accident lawyers in San Diego are hoping that a new pilot program to use breathalyzers for convicted DUI offenders will reduce the number of repeat drunk drivers on the road, but there are those who try to drive under the influence of drugs — either medicinal or illegal. Driving under the influence of drugs is just as bad as drunk driving, so avoid driving if you’re under the influence.
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