A Cincinnati man intoxicated on heroin crashed into a school bus after leading police on a chase in late November, reported Fox19. The man swerved into oncoming traffic after failing to comply to a traffic stop for reckless driving. The school bus was filled with 30 children from 30 Sycamore Community School. The bus driver was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries as a result of the crash. If you or a loved one was the victim of a drugged driving accident contact a Cincinnati car accident attorney today.
The chase began at the corner of Pfeiffer and Montgomery roads when police attempted to stop the man’s car. A passenger of the car bailed out of the vehicle mid chase and was later taken into custody by authorities as a witness. The man did not comply with any verbal commands to stop and did not even respond to the pain of a TASER when police tried to subdue him after the crash. A long struggle commenced when four police officers tried to subdue the intoxicated man, taking them several minutes to put him in handcuffs and into custody.
The driver was found to have a high concentration of heroin in his blood stream and a grand jury indicted him on three felony counts including aggravated vehicular assault.
Drugged Driving Laws in Ohio
Ohio has a zero tolerance prohibition for drugged driver. This means that a driver may be arrested under reasonable suspicion that he or she has a certain amount of an illicit narcotic in his or her system. For heroin, the limit is 2,000 nanograms in urine samples and 50 nanograms in blood.
While drivers arrested of drugged driving will be subject to normal DUI penalties, first time possession of heroin is considered a felony in the state.
Drivers high on heroin is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem in Ohio, disconcerting local law enforcement. Cincinnati is considered a key distribution hub for heroin which causes widespread use to the low cost and proliferation of the drug. The drug gets to Cincinnati through highway drug routes on Interstate 71 and 75. Heroin is a much cheaper drug than most prescription painkillers and has become much more popular and widely available in the area within the last five years. In 2014 in Hamilton County alone, 84 accidental deaths were attributed directly to heroin while 177 accidental decedents had heroin in their systems.
Contact a Cincinnati Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by a drug-impaired driver, the experienced Cincinnati car accident attorneys at the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers can help you. Call us today to learn everything you need to know about your rights and options after being in a car accident in Ohio.
