Nashville DUI Vehicular Assault
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What is it? A DUI vehicular assault charge is a very serious matter, it carries with it a 2 to 12 year sentence in prison, it can result in a lengthy suspension of your driving privileges, along with a fine not to exceed $5,000.00 dollars. In Nashville an accident while you are intoxicated can result in a vehicular assault charge.
The statute carries with it the required language that makes a DUI and a DUI vehicular assault charge merge, thus preventing double jeopardy, meaning a person cannot be penalized separately for a DUI and a vehicular assault charge that occur out of the same incident. A violation of double jeapordy occurs when one is punished twice for the same crime, thus it is not allowed in this instance.
The actual charge of a DUI vehicular assault in Nashville is when one as a result of their intoxication recklessly causes seriously bodily injury to another by operation of a motor vehicle. There are defenses to this charge that can be raised based on the language of the statute. A conviction of vehicular assault will be counted as a prior DUI should you be convicted of another DUI in the future, thus increasing your penalties. Under the vehicular assault statute in Tennessee you are not eligible for pre-trial diversion.
An example of a vehicular assault involving a DUI might be, you rear end another car on Hillsboro Pike in Nashville, the person is taken away by ambulance with a sore back and broken finger due to the impact withyour car, that could result in both a DUI charge and vehicular assault in Nashville.
Please feel free to phone my office, should you need representation.
