When someone gets behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking alcohol and/or consuming drugs (even legal ones), they can’t guarantee that they won’t be stopped and charged with DUI. Even if they aren’t over the legal limit for alcohol, if the amount they’ve consumed is causing them to drive unsafely.
Many DUIs don’t involve a crash – let alone one where someone is injured or killed. However, if a driver causes a crash, they have little or no control over the consequences of that crash for others.
How the law changed last year
Last year, a North Dakota law was amended to increase the penalties for those convicted of causing bodily injury while driving under the influence. The legislation passed nearly unanimously in both houses of the state legislature and was signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong.
What’s known as “Tyanna’s Law” came about after a Minot teen was severely injured two years ago after being struck by a wrong-way driver who was determined to be under the influence. She survived her life-threatening injuries but required extensive rehabilitation and is still not fully healed.
Specifically, the law increases the charge for DUI that results in bodily injury from a Class C to a Class B felony. That means a person convicted can be sentenced to up to ten years behind bars, where previously the maximum sentence was five years.
The minimum sentence is one year and one day for the first offense. If someone has previously been convicted for another DUI offense, the minimum is two years.
Don’t underestimate the consequences of any DUI charge
Any DUI or DWI conviction can have serious consequences for a person’s future. A conviction for an offense that involves harm or death to someone can have even more serious consequences that can follow them for the rest of their lives – even after they’ve served their sentence and paid any fines.
This latest change in the law demonstrates how seriously lawmakers and the public take these offenses. That’s why it’s crucial to get experienced legal guidance as soon as possible if you or a loved one is facing an impaired driving-related charge.