Murder Charge against Teen Driver who Caused Fatal Montco River DUI Crash

Tragedy struck Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, just around 33 miles from Philadelphia when two friends were killed in a drunk driving accident on the night of October 4^th last year. According to police reports, the driver 21 year old Robert Bruce Hoffman of Collegeville was responsible for the deaths of two innocent people, Clinton Berger, 29, and his friend Lauren Magargal, 25.

District Attorney Kevin R Steele confirmed that Hoffman was charged with DUI vehicular homicide and other related charges, as reported by Philly.com. Hoffman needs a Philadelphia, PA drunk driving accident lawyer. He made some terrible mistakes but it does not mean he still does not have rights.

What actually happened on the fateful night?

Hoffman, Margargal, Berger, and a third passenger were in a 2007 Volkswagen Passat on a stretch between Schuylkill River and Tow Path Road on the night. When Hoffman tried to steer the vehicle to leave the area the vehicle rolled and fell over the edge of the embankment and into the canal. Berger and Margargal drowned but the third passenger was able to escape.

Later, toxicology reports confirmed that high traces of alcohol, marijuana, and Clonazepam, an anti-anxiety drug, were found in Hoffman’s blood. A third passenger later claimed that he tried to pull Berger out of the car but the latter was unresponsive. The police later pulled the body out from the canal.

Hoffman appeared before Magisterial District Judge Albert J Augustine for his DUI arraignment. His bail was set at $10,000 and was made to agree to certain restrictions. He is forbidden to drive or take any drugs. Hoffman’s hearing begins February 4^th.

You should not allow someone who is drunk and on drugs to drive you around.

Did you see Mel Gibson in the movie The Patriot? Did you see his character lose all control and kill that redcoat soldier in front of his children? Well, this is how you could act in your cell by yourself, acting out of control, if you are sentenced to a long time in prison and you realized you did not do enough to defend yourself. You should have hired a Philadelphia, PA drunk driving accident lawyer and not relied on the public defender. You could have found a marvelous legal professional using this site: drunk-driving-accident.usattorneys.com/pennsylvania/. Now it is too late! Well, you could use this site for an appeal after you found solid legal help. 

Teen Arrested for DUI in Manayunk, Philadelphia

In a separate incident, a 19 year old boy from Manayunk, Philadelphia rammed his SUV into a parked vehicle. The impact resulted in the SUV flipping over. The teenager was taken to a local hospital immediately after the accident but is expected to recover from minor injuries very soon. He was later arrested by the police on a DUI charge, according to a Lawyer Herald report.

According to Philadelphia, PA drunk driving accident attorneys there are three tiers of DUI from 0.08% to 0.99%, 10% to 0.159% as high and 0.16 and more as the highest. Refusal to submit to a breathalyzer, blood, or urine test can result in automatic suspension of the driver’s license since Pennsylvania has adopted the implied consent law where driver’s consent to tests when they receive their license. If you do not like this rule you do not have to drive a car.

Teen drinking is severely punished in states like Pennsylvania. Teenagers caught drinking can be fined $500. If a teenager is found operating a vehicle in an intoxicated state then he/she will be prosecuted under the Zero Tolerance Law.

In this particular case this 19 year old driver will face jail time, which can be anywhere from 2 days to 6 months, a fine ranging from $500 to $5,000, and license suspension for a year.

You need a Philadelphia DUI Lawyer

Since the punishment for DUI in Philadelphia is harsh, if you or a loved one is pulled over by the police for a DUI violation, it would be prudent to contact a Philadelphia, PA drunk driving accident lawyer as soon as possible. It is important that police officers are allowed to conduct tests only in the presence of a lawyer while lawyers suggest that drivers do not give any oral and written statements to the police officers.