Five people were injured last week after an alleged drunk driver drove into oncoming traffic in Gilbert, the Arizona Republic reports. The incident occurred on Ray Road when 21-year-old Lionell Dorchester of Mesa drifted across the center line near Gilbert Road, causing streets to be closed for about five hours after the collision.
Police say that Mr. Dorchester hit a Ford Escort that was filled with five people. Andrew Anger, the driver of the vehicle, and his passengers all received serious but non-life threatening injures after the collision. They were all taken to trauma hospitals in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
The case is still under investigation, but Gilbert police Sgt. Mark Marino told ABC News that law enforcers believe alcohol was a factor in the collision. Mr. Dorchester, who suffered minor injuries after the collision, was arrested at the scene. However, Arizona Republic reports that as of Monday, the DUI suspect had not been booked.
FindLaw reports that with DUI cases, a police officer will often look at the defendant's physical appearance and see if the driver has any symptoms of drunk driving, in order to determine if the driver is indeed intoxicated. Some signs of intoxicated include bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, breath smelling like alcohol, and a flushed face. However, an Arizona DUI attorney sometimes argues that police look at other factors that don't even necessarily indicate intoxication. Police will also sometimes look at whether the defendant has dishelved clothes or if the defendant has messy hair in order to determine intoxication.
Related Resources:
- Arizona Court Clarifies Rights of Drunk Driving Suspects (FindLaw KnowledgeBase)
- State Immunity in Drunk Driving Cases (FindLaw KnowledgeBase)
- Arizona DUI Attorney Directory (FindLaw)
