A Lanham man who was allegedly driving while intoxicated crashed through glass windows and into a Wendy’s restaurant. The crash happened moments after the man, who was stopped at a red light, did not move when the light turned green. The car behind him honked the horn, and the man accelerated, driving through some bushes, a parking lot and through the restaurant’s windows.
The Chevy Trailblazer drove all the way into the restaurant and almost to the counter. There were customers and employers in the restaurant at the time of the accident, and five were transported to a hospital for treatment of various injuries, including injuries to the back and neck. A female employee was also later treated for anxiety.
Police arrested the man immediately following the accident. He is now facing DUI charges.
Driving under the influence laws in Maryland are very specific. The acceptable blood alcohol content for drivers under 21 is 0.02, for those over 21, it is 0.08 and for all commercial drivers, it is 0.04. Since it is also an implied consent state, drivers who refuse the chemical test are automatically charged a fine and get their license suspended for a period of at least 3 months up to a year, depending on the offense. Additionally, there are mandatory minimum jail times for second and third time offenders, which are five and 10 days.
While people accused of DUI in Maryland may be able to plead to lesser charges such as a ‘wet reckless” charge, there are many other circumstances involved in plea deals. A lawyer may be consulted for guidance about how to plead and proceed with a DUI charge.
Source: Drivinglaws.org, “Maryland Drunk Driving Fines and Penalties”
Source: NBC Washington, “SUV Crashes Into Wendy’s in Maryland“, June 17, 2013