In California, Vehicle Code 23153 covers being involved in a DUI accident and causing injury to another person. There are two versions of the law: 23153(a), which covers having some drugs or alcohol in a person’s system but not enough to be legally considered intoxicated. The second, 23153(b), covers having a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or more, regardless of if the person was acting impaired. Either version can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor. Of course, the felony version of the charges come with more severe penalties than the misdemeanor charges. Either charge is very serious and can result in time spent either in jail or state prison.
KGET reports that a man who injured California Highway Patrol officers in an alleged DUI crash has pleaded no contest to a felony charge. On Friday, Juan Manuel Moreno pleaded no contest to charges of DUI with bodily injury. The plea was made in a deal in which two other felonies were dismissed.
The charges stem from a May 11, 2019 crash, when Moreno, who was 49 years old at the time, ran a red light as he drove his white pickup truck south on Cottonwood Road. He slammed into a patrol vehicle. The two officers inside suffered minor to moderate injuries. After hitting the patrol vehicle, Moreno continued driving until he hit a chain-link fence. He then headed west of Feliz Drive. Officers found Moreno on Feliz Drive, where Feliz got out of the vehicle and was stumbling to the point of falling. He ignored the commands of officers to get down on the ground.
As he was arrested, Moreno was said to have laughed and cursed at officers who were investigating the scene. Moreno is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3rd.
