A 32-year-old Gainesville woman was charged with DUI, eight counts of child neglect and driving with a suspended license when she was pulled over for causing a minor traffic accident, the Gainesville Sun reports. The incident occurred at approximately 9:50 p.m. on a Friday night, and the suspect indicated she had been on her way to a bar.
The woman was driving a Kia van and was pulled over after side-swiping another vehicle. The arresting officer discovered 8 children in the van, ranging in age from 10 months to 14 years. No injuries were reported related to the accident.
Upon inspection, the officer suspected the driver was intoxicated and executed standard field sobriety testing. When she was later tested with a breathalyzer, the suspect was found to have a BAC of .166, more than twice Florida’s legal limit of .08.
Like many states, Florida law considers the involvement of a minor passenger in a DUI case an aggravating factor to the crime and assesses more severe penalties. For a first conviction, a DUI with a minor in the car can double your fine. Jail time and fines increase with each subsequent DUI conviction, and upon the fourth conviction can result in permanent revocation of the suspect’s driver’s license. While it is unclear whether this particular suspect has any prior convictions on her record, she undoubtedly faces harsh penalties if she is convicted.
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