Many people are aware that the penalties for DUI in California get worse with each subsequent DUI conviction. However, what they may not be aware of is that DUIs in other states can count towards these enhanced penalties. If the DUI conviction occurred in the last ten years, the other state’s DUI laws are similar, or the offense reads like a DUI, California prosecutors may treat the out-of-state DUI as a consecutive DUI. Regardless of whether the DUI occurred in California or in another state, any driver should be aware that if caught again, they will likely face harsher penalties. This can even include being charged with murder if they drive drunk and kill someone.
NBC Los Angeles reports that a driver has been charged in a deadly alleged DUI crash in Long Beach.
38-year-old David Michael Garrison is facing a murder charge among other charges that are linked to a fatal Long Beach crash.
The accident occurred on March 23rd when Garrison was allegedly speeding on the Pacific Coast Highway. He crashed into another vehicle at the intersection with Anaheim Street. The driver of that vehicle suffered from fatal injuries.
On Monday, Garrison was arrested and taken to jail in lieu of a $2 million bond.
Garrison is set to be arraigned on April 16th. He is facing a count of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury within ten years of another offense, and driving under the influence of a drug causing injury with a special allegation of great bodily injury.
Garrison has a previous DUI conviction that occurred in 2011 in Minnesota. If convicted, he could spend 15 years to life in state prison.
