On Feb. 10, a woman was charged with driving under the influence after she struck a school bus with her van. The accident took place along northbound route 32 in central Illinois while a busload of high school basketball players and cheerleaders was traveling to a basketball tournament.
According to a sheriff who described the accident to reporters, the school bus was going north when it was hit by an eastbound van that had been stopped at a stop sign. After the side of the bus was hit by the van, the bus lost control and then tipped over onto its passenger side. Five of the 35 passengers on the bus were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for lacerations and minor injuries.
The woman who was driving the van was also taken to a hospital to be treated for non-incapacitating injuries. A Moultrie County Sheriff’s deputy issued the woman citations for driving under the influence and failure to yield the right of way. There were no initial reports about what evidence led to the driver’s DUI charge.
People who have been charged with DUI after hitting another vehicle may be able to dispute the allegation by arguing that they were not intoxicated. A lawyer may be able to help a DUI defendant to prove that evidence from a field sobriety test is insufficient because it is based on a subjective opinion. A breath test result may also be disputed if it is within the margin of error.
Source: ABC News, “Driver charged with DUI after her van slams into school bus, forcing it to overturn on Illinois highway,” David Caplan, Feb. 11, 2017