Suspected DUI Driver Rockets Down Interstate the Wrong Way, Nearly Kills 20 Year Old Woman

Driving under the influence is never the right way to travel, and sometimes that lesson is quite literally true. Even an experienced Los Angeles DUI attorney could have difficulty making a case for someone who decides to drive along an interstate highway while under the influence—especially when that driver is headed in the wrong direction.

According to the Illinois News Gazette, police officers managed to stop 60-year old Michael Jay Nolan from driving west in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 74 in Champaign County. The alleged DUI driver had traveled five miles in the wrong directions, from Ogden to St. Joseph, before a sheriff’s deputy was able to get his pickup truck to stop.

Considering the distance that Nolan covered, it’s fortunate that he forced only two drivers off the road during his wrong-way drive. A 20-year-old woman, Ashley Lurry, ended up in the median after meeting up with Nolan in her Chevrolet Cobalt. She and her passenger received treatment for minor injuries at a nearby hospital.

A Toyota Camry driven by 61-year-old Denise Chestnut landed in a ditch after swerving to avoid a head-on collision with Nolan’s truck. Although her Camry may never be the same—and Chestnut will probably never forget the sight of the headlights coming towards her on an expressway—she wasn’t injured.

Police were able to stop Nolan about 15 minutes after they received the first calls from frantic motorists alerting them to the problem. Nolan received tickets for illegal transportation of alcohol and improper lane usage—not his biggest problems, since the police also charged him with DUI.

One thing that Nolan and the two other drivers did right, however. According to the paper, all of the people involved had buckled up before they hit the road.

Locating a seasoned and qualified Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer is a critical part of the process of reclaiming your life, your time and your peace of mind. Call ex-prosecutor Michael Kraut for a free consultation right now.

Call attorney Michael Kraut at (323) 464-6453 for help if you’ve been stopped for DUI in Los Angeles. Or Contact our team online. We’re located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1480, Los Angeles, California 90028.

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Drunk Driver Suspected of Causing Three Accidents in One Night

By guest-writer

A California drunk driver was arrested last week on suspicion of causing at least three different hit-and-run accidents in one night, according to a remarkable report from the San Jose Mercury News.

31-year-old Justin Mendoza was taken into custody by Napa police last weekend after his night of illegal activity finally ended when officers discovered him hiding in a creek bed, according to sources.

The night of driving peril started around 11:00 p.m. last Friday when Mendoza was cruising around Napa, California at an alarming speed, and with very little regard for the customary rules of the road.

The first two collisions occurred around 11:00 p.m., and both occurred on Silverado Trail Road. At least one of these hit-and-run accidents involved an injury, as well.

Then a third collision happened on the same road, and this accident led to one car completely flipping over. When police arrived on the scene, they saw a man sprinting away from the overturned vehicle that was involved in the crash.

Predictably, the man who was fleeing turned out to have been the culprit who allegedly caused all three accidents on the same stretch of road, but police had to do a bit of legwork before they caught Mendoza.

Sources say that the police who originally responded to the scene called for additional help, and the officers eventually set up a large perimeter around the area where Mendoza had fled.

After setting up a broad perimeter, the officers enlisted the aid of a police dog, which eventually discovered Mendoza hiding in a creek bed near a small river.

They soon learned that Mendoza was the registered owner of the overturned car, and promptly escorted him to jail after seeing that he displayed obvious signs of intoxication.

But before he was taken to jail, Mendoza, who is a resident of Yountville, California, was sent to a hospital for treatment for what sources call “minor injuries.”

After his DUI arrest, Mendoza was charged with drunk driving and also causing three different hit-and-run crashes.

The extent of Mendoza’s criminal penalties will depend on a number of factors, including his prior history, his level of inebriation at the time of the arrest, and the nature of the injuries and property damage he caused through his irresponsible driving.

In California, even minor, first-time DUI offenses can lead to heavy fines, a suspended license, or even jail time, so Mendoza likely faces a significant amount of punishment, if the tale of his epic driving adventures proves true.

View the original article here

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