Teenage Drunk Driver Charged with Felony DUI in Florence | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

What Happened: wbtw.com reports that a teenage driver was charged with felony DUI (driving under the influence) after he allegedly caused a fatal car accident in Florence, South Carolina. The accident took place at the intersection of East Palmetto Street and McCurdy Road; the victim, Jennifer Marie Thomas (21), was killed at the scene of the accident, which is still being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP). The driver was subsequently charged.

The tragic accident occurred at the corner of East Palmetto Street and McCurdy Road, pictured here:


View Larger Map

First of all, our heartfelt sympathies are with the loved ones and the family of the victim in this accident—losing a loved one in a car crash is a terrible and heart-rending experience. We can only hope that the at-fault driver is brought to justice for his completely irresponsible behavior. 

South Carolina’s laws concerning felony driving under the influence are very clear: a person’s driving while intoxicated and causing “great bodily injury or death to a person other than himself” will be charged with felony D.U.I. In other words, it’s not just the act of drunk or intoxicated driving that causes the felony charge; it’s the act of harming or killing someone else. Drunk driving is a completely irresponsible behavior that is never necessary, and the laws against it should be very strict, as in South Carolina (where one can be fined up to twenty-five thousand dollars, and imprisoned for up to twenty-five years, if a death results from one’s inebriated driving). 

At our Carolina personal injury firm, we do not help or defend drunk drivers—we sue them, because their conduct is inexcusable and, frankly, indefensible. If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver, you should consider speaking to one of our personal injury attorneys; our lawyers have a great wealth of experience in prosecuting drunk drivers, and we’re familiar with the laws and regulations that concern this dangerous and destructive habit. If, as in the terrible accident above, you’ve lost a loved one due to a D.U.I. driver, you may consider instead filing a wrongful death claim; no amount of redress or justice can fill the hole left by a deceased love one, but such claims can help defray some of the costs of the tragedy, and it’s important that you’re taken care of in such an event.