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Understanding Vehicular Homicide & Manslaughter: Legal Overview & Defense Insights

Vehicular homicide cases often attract significant media attention and can be deeply shocking to communities. What starts as an ordinary day or an enjoyable evening can quickly turn into a legal nightmare, resulting in imprisonment, heavy fines, and license revocation. A single moment of poor judgment can lead to lifelong consequences.

Real-Life Examples of Vehicular Homicide Charges in Minnesota

• In Minnesota, a semi-truck driver faced vehicular manslaughter charges when a 59-pound cement block fell off his trailer, crashing through the windshield of a minivan and killing a 17-year-old passenger.
• AA man was convicted of vehicular homicide when his Toyota Camry accelerated unexpectedly, crashing into another car and tragically killing three family members. After serving two and a half years of his sentence, he was released when it was alleged that the accident happened as a result of a flaw in the cruise control, which caused unintended acceleration.
• A 23-year old U of M student was charged with vehicular homicide after striking two pedestrians who were walking on the street near a construction site where the sidewalk was blocked off.  The accident resulted in the death of one of the victims.  The student behind the wheel had a blood alcohol level of .164, twice the legal limit.
• A 20-year old Minnesota woman was charged with vehicular homicide when she ran a red light at a Minneapolis intersection.  Her car plowed into another car at 60 mph killing the 39-year old driver of the other car.
• A 24-year old woman was charged and convicted of 4 counts of vehicular homicide after running a stop sign and striking a school bus which overturned killing 4 students.  She was found driving without a license and is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence.

Defining Vehicular Homicide

Roadways are inherently risky, with accidents occurring daily. When a traffic accident results in a fatality, the driver may face severe felony charges. Vehicular homicide charges apply when a driver unintentionally causes the death of another person through their actions on the road. Common causes include drunk driving, reckless driving, speeding, texting while driving, and other forms of extremely negligent behavior. In Minnesota, leaving the scene of a deadly accident can also result in a vehicular homicide charge.

Facing vehicular homicide charges can lead to serious outcomes, such as hefty fines, jail time, losing your driver's license, and having to pay more for insurance. The sentencing guidelines under Minnesota law suggest a five- to seven-year prison term if found guilty of vehicular homicide.

Minnesota law also recognizes the death of an unborn child and imposes a 48-month minimum sentence for causing the death of an unborn child.  Under state law, the maximum sentence for causing the death of a human being or the death of an unborn child is 10-years imprisonment or payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both.

Legal Defense Strategies for Vehicular Homicide Charges

Given the serious consequences of a vehicular homicide conviction, it's crucial for someone accused to get proper legal help to build a strong defense. There are different ways to defend against these charges, like showing there wasn't negligence, proving there's no direct link between the driver's actions and the accident, mentioning involuntary intoxication, insufficient evidence, or presenting a case of mistaken identity.

Demonstrating that something else, like a road pothole or faulty car parts, caused the accident can break the connection and potentially lead to the accused person being found not guilty. It's also possible to argue that the accident would have happened even without the defendant's actions.

Having experienced legal representation is critical when facing vehicular homicide charges.

Bruno Law has a proven track record of effectively and aggressively defending individuals facing serious charges, including vehicular homicide. Protect your rights and your future. Contact Bruno Law today.