A Maryland man has been sentenced to five years in prison after a drunk driving accident left his son dead. The man had supposedly been drinking at a family gathering when he got behind the wheel of a vehicle to pick up his son and daughter at daycare. The man was involved in two accidents, one of which claimed the life of the young boy. Before he was scheduled to appear in court, he entered a guilty plea for drunk driving and other things.
After picking up both of his children, the Maryland driver was traveling along I-95. The first accident occurred when he struck the back of a car. The driver of the other car claims that he kept traveling and that he was driving at a high rate of speed. Police have not indicated how fast the man was driving at the time of the accident.
The second incident occurred when the man left the road and hit several trees. By the time medical and emergency personnel had arrived at the scene, the little boy had succumbed to the severity of his injuries. The little girl was unharmed, and the driver suffered non-life threatening injuries from the accident. When the defendant's blood alcohol content (BAC) was tested several hours later, it was below the legal BAC limit.
The five-year sentence came as a result of an agreement between the defense and the prosecution. In some drunk driving defense cases, a plea agreement may be the best way to secure the lowest fines and penalties for certain situations. A plea agreement is not the most beneficial path for every defendant, but this option should be contingent upon the specific details of each individual case.