Prescription drugs have become a daily routine for many people, but they can lead to a DWI charge if you aren’t careful. In Virginia, you do not need to have a blood-alcohol content over .08 to be charged with DWI; rather, the officer will just need to show that a person was impaired behind the wheel. If someone takes prescription medication, has an adverse effect, and then gets behind the wheel, they will need a lawyer to fight these serious charges.
Recent Examples
The Kerry Kennedy case is a good example of this. In her case, she was charged with driving while impaired by drugs. She was found slumped over the wheel of her car, having accidentally taken a sleep medication instead of another pill. She was eventually acquitted because the state could not prove that she had intentionally taken the pills.
This shows that a person must intentionally drive impaired instead of simply making a mistake. But it also shows how dangerous it can be to take pills and then get behind the wheel. Ms. Kennedy was involved in an accident and is fortunate that neither she nor any other drivers were injured. If you have taken a pill and suddenly begin to feel impaired, it is generally best to pull over and get off the road. This way, you can avoid an accident as well as serious criminal charges.
