Closer Look at Georgia DUI Penalties After Slow Motion Tractor Trailer Accident

Fairburn police dealt with an interesting situation earlier this morning. The driver of a pickup truck got into a slow motion accident with the back of a tractor-trailer. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Police believe that the driver was under the influence. He refused to pull his truck over when police attempted to pull him over. The truck was also being operated with only three wheels.

As of right now, the driver has remained unidentified. He is facing some serious penalties, though, if it is determined that he was driving under the influence in Georgia. As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the possible penalties for a DUI in Georgia in today's post.

Georgia DUI Penalties

According to Georgia Law, DUI is defined in O.C.G.A. §40-6-391 as:

A person shall not drive or be in actual physical control of any moving vehicle while:

• Under the influence of alcohol,
• Under the influence of any drug,
• Under the intentional influence of any glue, aerosol, or other toxic vapor,
• Under the combined influence of any two or more substances,
• The person's alcohol concentration is 0.08 grams or more,
• There is any amount of marijuana or a controlled substance present in the person's blood or urine, or both,

…to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive.

As you can see from the law, Georgia DUI Laws are extremely complicated and in depth. In fact, Georgia DUI Laws are some of the strictest DUI laws in the country. There is no Wet Reckless or a lesser DUI charge in the state of Georgia.

Georgia DUI Penalties if convicted of DUI can include any of the following:

• 12 months of probation
• A minimum fine of $300 plus court costs and surcharges
• Between 1 - 10 days in jail, which many times can be waived 
• At least 40 hours of community service
• Substance abuse counseling
• Attendance of the DUI Risk Reduction School 
• Attendance of a Madd Mothers Victim Impact Panel
• Drivers License Suspension, with a limited permit to drive 

This is only if it is your first DUI conviction. The penalties only increase if the conviction is your second, third, or fourth DUI conviction.

Practice Note

DUI is just like any other criminal offense. Even if our laws are strict - just because someone has been accused of driving under the influence does not mean that they are guilty of DUI.

If you or a loved one has been accused of DUI, contact a Georgia DUI Attorney today.