Haverhill Woman Charged With Vehicular Homicide in Fatal DUI Crash
A Haverhill woman has been charged with Massachusetts Drunk Driving Charges after she allegedly struck and killed a woman who was standing out her car.
Lisa Leavitt was arraigned this morning in Haverhill District Court on DUI / OUI charges including Motor Vehicle Homicide While Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle.
According to prosecutors in Haverhill, Leavitt’s car struck the 64 year old woman, Karen LaPierre, outside a donut shop as she was putting donuts in the trunk of her car. The impact reportedly pinned Lapierre between the two vehicles, which eventually resulted in her death.
The Haverhill Police Department alleged that Lapierre failed Field Sobriety Tests and submitted to a Breathalyzer Test, which yielded a reading of 0.18%.
Vehicular Homicide by OUI / DUI is punishable in Massachusetts with imprisonment to the House of Corrections for not less than 1 year to 2.5 years; or to state prison for not less than 2.5 to 15 years. In cases, however, where there is no evidence of reckless or negligent driving, even if the blood alcohol content is 0.08% or greater, the penalty is not less than 30 days and up to 2.5 years in the house of corrections.
Beyond the potential for imprisonment, persons convicted of Motor Vehicle Homicide also face severe driver’s license implications, including revocation of your license for 15 years.
Under Massachusetts law, ‘being under the influence’ does not mean “drunk”. Rather, ‘being under the influence’ means that the person’s intake of alcohol or drugs diminished his/her ability to operate the vehicle safely – in other words, the person had consumed enough of the intoxicating substance to reduce his/her mental clarity, self-control and reflexes so as to have had a reduced ability to drive safely.
Whether charged with a simple OUI offense such as Operating Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol or something more serious, such as Vehicular Homicide by OUI / DUI, those charged with these crimes should immediately Contact a Massachusetts DUI / OUI Lawyer.
Boston DUI Lawyer Lefteris K. Travayiakis is available 24/7 for consultation on all Massachusetts Drunk Driving Crimes, including OUI / DUI, Motor Vehicle Homicide by DUI / OUI, and Reckless Driving.
To schedule a Free Consultation, Click Here to Contact a Massachusetts OUI / DUI Lawyer or call 617-325-9500.
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