A recent case highlights an issue that should always be in the forefront of public safety: never drink and drive. Whether on New Year’s Eve or any other time. The recent case involves a 32-year-old Deltona man convicted of DUI-manslaughter. He has been sentenced to ten years in prison after causing a crash that ended the life of 58-year-old Peter Gregory Kilan of Volusia County. The crash occurred in the early morning hours of August, 25 2013. Though one family must grieve the loss of Kilan, another family is grieving the imprisonment of the driver and, regardless of how many years he actually spends in jail, his life will be altered forever.
If you plan to drink alcohol, be sure to make arrangements for a sober driver or to stay overnight wherever you may be reveling. Furthermore, if you are arrested on suspicion of DUI, contact an attorney who may be able to challenge the charges against you and, perhaps, have them dismissed or reduced. While cases like the aforementioned do justifiably lead to outrage and sadness and will hopefully remind the public not to drink and drive, cases like this must also serve as reminders that DUI suspects have rights and the court of public opinion and perceptions of drunk-driving suspects should not be allowed to color the legal process in any way. Everyone is not-guilty until proven otherwise in a court of law.