Georgia DUI Suspect Allegedly Attempted to Bribe Officers During Arrest

According to reports out of Cobb County, a female driver was arrested after attempting to bribe her way out of a DUI charge this past month.

Reports show that the woman allegedly had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol when officers arrived to the scene of an accident. The wreck resulted in the injury of her daughter. She allegedly attempted to bribe the officers. She has been charged with serious injury by vehicle, driving under the influence, and failure to yield.

In today's post, I will outline the law behind serious injury by vehicle in the state of Georgia.

Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia

Serious injury by vehicle in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law as:

…causing bodily harm to another by depriving him of a member of his body, by rendering a member of his body useless, by seriously disfiguring his body or a member thereof, or by causing organic brain damage which renders the body or any member thereof useless through the violation of O.C.G.A. § 4-6-390 [Reckless Driving in Georgia] or O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 [DUI in Georgia]. Georgia Code §40-6-394.

The law behind serious injury by vehicle does not require that any malicious intent to harm be proven.  As a result, defenses such as where a person did not intend to get in an accident or drive recklessly are not legally relevant.

Serious injury by vehicle is classified as a felony offense in Georgia. The minimum sentence for serious injury by vehicle is one year in prison, and the maximum is 15 years in prison.  Very rarely is the minimum sentenced if there has been a very serious injury.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a DUI related offense, call our offices now.