Results 1 to 4 of 4
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    14

    Default Single Car Accident, Can Drunk Driving be Charged With No Witnesses

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: FL

    So everyone knows the show COPS right? Well I was watching COPS the other day and this cop received an call that there was an accident and the guy fled the scene. So the cop gets close to the scene of the accident and sees the guy walking away. He stops and asks the guy why is he bleeding and if he was the one who crashed his car. Obviously the guy is slurring his words and lying to the cop before he finally confesses that it was him who crashed his car. They go back to the scene of the accident and assess things. The cop clearly knows the guy has been drinking. The dude's girlfriend comes and is pissed off that he wrecked her car. She also tells the cop that he was probably drinking.

    But here's the kicker. The cop mentions that there were no witnesses to the accident and cannot confirm he was driving even though he admitted to driving the car. So the cop said they couldn't charge him with anything other than a bill for the damaged street sign. I was like WTF! When I crashed my car in the middle of some country road there were no witnesses either and I still got slammed by the highway patrol with a DUI. I crashed and walked over to a neighbors house and called the cops to report the accident. The cop knew I was a little tipsy. I told him I was the driver. So what gives here?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    OH10
    Posts
    17,019

    Default Re: Something I Saw on Cops

    He was drunk. Any confession would possibly be thrown out.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Single Car Accident, Can Drunk Driving be Charged With No Witnesses

    So, was that particular episode of COPS filmed in your state?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    20,594

    Default Re: Single Car Accident, Can Drunk Driving be Charged With No Witnesses

    Was the Cops episode filmed in your state?

    Also, understand that the 9 minute vignette you see on the TV may be culled from an encounter that lasted much longer than that. There might have been things said that made an arrest fr DUI much more difficult. Perhaps he alleged he had been drinking AFTER the crash, and had crashed over an hour earlier. Who knows? Maybe the officer was wrong and maybe he could have pressed the issue. But, it all depends on the laws of the state where the officer worked which may be different than the laws in you state.

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Similar Threads

  1. Drunk and Impaired Driving: Charged With Drunk Driving, Second Offense
    By bowtie3d in forum Drunk and Impaired Driving Charges
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 09-19-2011, 10:56 AM
  2. Drunk and Impaired Driving: Driver Left Single Vehicle Accident, Drank at Home, Charged with DUI
    By Molly'sMom in forum Drunk and Impaired Driving Charges
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 08-29-2011, 10:06 AM
  3. Drunk and Impaired Driving: Arrested for Drunk Driving But Not Charged
    By montana_23 in forum Drunk and Impaired Driving Charges
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 03-20-2011, 11:24 AM
  4. Careless Driving: Careless and Prohibited Driving with Single Car Accident
    By D'Lynn in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 10-09-2009, 09:31 AM
  5. Careless Driving: Careless Driving With a Single Vehicle Accident
    By chuman in forum Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 09-28-2009, 05:44 PM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources