Residents of New York may be familiar with the wineries that the state has to offer. The presence of these wineries means that, sometimes, friends will gather to go to wine tastings. These events are meant to be fun, social gatherings between friends and family members. However, what many do not realize is that they could potentially end in tragedy.

A 26-year-old woman that has been charged with DWI and vehicular homicide was likely one of these individuals that was shocked her outing at a winery would end in criminal charges. According to police, the young woman was leaving a wine tasting with three of her friends when she lost control of her vehicle while traveling around a curve. The loss of control caused her vehicle to travel off of the road and strike two other vehicles.

A 55-year-old woman from the first vehicle was killed upon impact and the driver of that same vehicle, a 63-year-old woman, is currently in a hospital being treated for severe injuries.

When there is a fatal DWI accident, the driver who is allegedly impaired may face a vehicular homicide or vehicular assault charge. Impaired driving always has the potential for serious consequences not only for the intoxicated driver but also for those that are involved in a car accident with that driver. Some of the consequences that may be faced by the impaired driver include a criminal record for the rest of their lives, loss of their driver’s license, paying the other party monetary compensation and much more.

An investigator with the New York police said it best when he stated this woman simply made a mistake and is not a lifelong criminal. She has a college education and unfortunately just made a poor choice.

However, if not handled correctly, this poor choice could have a lifelong negative impact. This is why it is so very important for the accused party to stand up for themselves and defend their position in order to mitigate the negative consequences as much as possible.

Source: WHEC Rochester, “Woman charged with DWI and vehicular manslaughter following deadly crash in Himrod, Yates County,” Rachel Spotts, July 18, 2014