When most people in South Carolina think about driving under the influence they think about drunk driving. Certainly, this is a huge danger to people every day yet it is not the only one they face. Drugged drivers also put innocent people at risk and may be charged with a DUI even if they have not consumed alcohol because drugs can impair a person to a point of rendering them unable to safely operate a vehicle.
In some cases, the drugs that may contribute to a DUI arrest may even be legally prescribed prescription drugs. As reported by The Post and Courier, it is prescription medications that may have contributed to a fatal accident that claimed the life of a girl who was only 11 years old. The incident occurred in Charleston and involved a 30-year-old man driving a sport utility vehicle. It is said that something caused his vehicle to veer and hit another parked vehicle.
Instead of stopping, the SUV continued through an intersection only then to leave the roadway and drive onto the sidewalk. It was at this point that the SUV hit the girl who was a pedestrian. The vehicle only stopped after ramming into a tree. It is not known if anyone else was injured in the crash.
The at-fault driver apparently failed a field sobriety test but would not agree to take any chemical tests so officers had to obtain a warrant that allowed them to get further data. This testing showed no traces of alcohol but final results that would show drugs in the system are not yet received.