A police officer suffered minor injuries after he was reportedly struck by another vehicle. The person who was apparently behind the wheel at the time was arrested on multiple DUI charges after authorities say his blood alcohol level registered at above the legal limit. The Maryland officer has been released from the hospital.
The officer was directing traffic on a recent Tuesday afternoon following a car accident. At that point, a 58-year-old driver reportedly crashed into him. After the crash, the officer proceeded to stop the vehicle and remove the motorist. A blood alcohol test was administered which allegedly revealed that the man's level was at .22. He was charged with DUI and issued a ticket for failure to control speed.
At this time, the police department is investigating what led up to the crash. No other details about this matter has been reported. It is important for readers to remember that, just because these allegations have been made does not mean that the man is automatically guilty as charged.
Maryland prosecutors take DUI charges seriously and pursue convictions to the fullest extent of the law. If the defendant is convicted, he could be forced to spend years in prison and may face other consequences, as well. Despite that fact, however, the prosecution will need to prove that the defendant was operating while impaired at the time of the incident and the crash was caused by intoxicated driving. The burden of proof is just as high in this case where a police officer was allegedly struck as it would be for an apparent civilian victim in any other case.
Source: NBC Washington, "Driver Charged With DUI After Striking Police Officer", Margaret Voelzke, July 2, 2014