Police officers responded to an accident scene involving a driver who was driving under the influence and collided head-on with a tree, according to the Brea Police Department.
The Brea Police stated that “While the damage to the vehicle is significant, the risk to innocent lives on the road was even greater. There is no excuse for driving impaired. It endangers you and everyone sharing the road with you.”
In partnership with the CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program, the Brea Police want to remind everyone to drive responsibly. Do not drink and drive.
In California, a driver who crashes while intoxicated faces a combination of immediate legal penalties, severe professional setbacks, and long-term financial strain.
Legal Penalties Faced by the Suspect
If the crash only involved property damage (e.g., hitting a tree or pole) and it is a first offense, it is typically charged as a misdemeanor. However, it can be elevated to a felony if others were injured.
- Fines & Costs: Base fines range from $390 to $1,000, but after mandatory penalty assessments and court fees, the total often reaches $1,800 to $5,000.
- Jail Time: A first offense can result in up to 6 months in county jail. For incidents involving injury (VC 23153), this can increase to 16 months to 10 years in state prison.
- License Suspension: Expect a 6-month to 1-year suspension for a first offense. You will likely be required to install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) for at least 6 months.
- Restitution: You are legally required to compensate the owner (e.g., the city or utility company) for the damaged property.
Impact on Employment and Insurance
- Employment:
- Termination: California is an “at-will” state, meaning employers can fire you for a DUI, especially if your job requires driving or a professional license (e.g., nursing, teaching).
- Commercial Drivers: A DUI leads to an automatic 1-year suspension of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), often ending careers in trucking or delivery.
- Future Hiring: Convictions appear on background checks indefinitely, making you less competitive than candidates with clean records.
- Insurance:
- Premium Hikes: Rates typically increase by 28% to 371%, with the average California driver seeing a nearly $3,300 annual increase.
- SR-22 Requirement: You must file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years to maintain driving privileges.
- Cancellations: Some insurers may drop your coverage entirely, forcing you to find expensive “high-risk” policies.
Crash Statistics in California
Crashing into stationary objects is remarkably common for impaired drivers.
- Frequency: “Hit Object” crashes (including trees and poles) were the most common type of alcohol-involved fatal and severe injury crashes in 2022, accounting for 35.1% of all such incidents.
- Drug-Involved Crashes: This rate is even higher for drug-impaired drivers, where hitting an object accounts for 38.2% of all collisions.
- Fatality Trends: Alcohol-impaired fatalities in California have seen a 55% increase since 2014, with over 1,300 people killed annually as of 2023.