A Scottsdale driver crashed into a police vehicle last week, which led authorities to an obvious but necessary question -- was the driver drunk?
The Arizona Republic reported that 69-year-old Barry Lee Smith was arrested on Wednesday night after allegedly making an illegal turn with no headlights on and then colliding with a Scottsdale police car at Thompson Peak Parkway and Hayden Road. A veteran of the Scottsdale Police Department was on patrol at the time of the crash and had to be transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
It looks like Smith could be facing DUI charges, as authorities suspect that he was impaired at the time of the crash. If convicted of driving under the influence, Smith can face legal penalties that include jail time, probation, fines, community service, license suspension, alcohol education classes, and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device for at least one year. Because there was also an injury as a result of the accident, it’s possible that Smith can also face additional criminal charges.
Unfortunately for Barry Smith, the city of Scottsdale is one of the toughest cities in the state, and maybe even in the country, when it comes to DUI crimes. As we reported in an earlier blog post, some attorneys say that DUI suspects in Scottsdale typically have the most difficulty getting off with a more lenient punishment, even though DUI laws in Arizona are the same everywhere in the state. This is because DUI laws can be applied differently by prosecutors in each city within the state of Arizona.
Related Resources:
- Find an Arizona DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Arizona DUI Law (FindLaw)
- Drunk Driving: Elements of the Offense (FindLaw)
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