Columbia, South Carolina Highway Patrol charged a Columbia Police officer with DUI after troopers say he was found asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle while parked at a traffic light. This took place around 2:00 a.m. when officers came across the vehicle on Leesburg Road. The driver was sound asleep.
The officers were called to the scene, and after some time were eventually able to wake the man up, and get him out of his car. They found that he was an off-duty, Columbia police officer. He was charged with DUI, and will be suspended without pay during the investigation.
There are certain crimes that do not affect people from all walks of life. Not everybody will burglarize a house, or steal a car; however, we have found that people in every profession has been known to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated. There is no problem with light drinking here and there, if you don’t suffer from substance abuse. However, it is wrong to put other people in peril by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after alcohol consumption.
One of the major duties of a police officer is to keep the roads safe from drunk drivers. More accidents occur each year in the State of South Carolina, and one of the major factors contributing to such accidents is intoxicated drivers. It is the job of the police officers within the state to keep these people off the roads. But, when the officer makes the decision to drink without a plan for a ride home, they are exposed to a potential DUI charge. Alcohol works to lower the inhibitions of the person consuming, and even if your job depends on sober driving, the more intoxicated you get, the more likely you are to get behind the wheel of your car.
At Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP, we understand that anyone can potentially get a DUI, and we are here to help you through the process. If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI or Felony DUI, call us at our Baxter Village location in Fort Mill, South Carolina at 803-548-4444, or toll free at 877-374-5999.