An 18-year-old Tennessee man has been charged with reckless endangerment, vehicular assault and driving while under the influence of alcohol after he allegedly lost control of his car and crashed into a Clarksville apartment building during the early morning hours of April 8. A records check reveals that the incident marked the second time in less than a week that the man found himself on the wrong side of the law. According to media reports, he was previously charged with driving while impaired, reckless driving and reckless endangerment on April 1.
When Clarksville Police Department officers arrived at the Tiny Town Road apartment building at approximately 1:26 a.m., their eyes were drawn to a Hyundai sedan that had struck the building and was protruding from a bedroom window several feet off the ground. Officers determined that the driver of the car had lost control of his vehicle and hit the building after driving up and down a nearby embankment. A resident who was asleep at the time was trapped underneath the car. She was taken by rescue workers to a nearby hospital with injuries that are not considered to be life-threatening.
The accident left the building severely damaged, and the structure has since been condemned by city officials. The 18 people who called the apartment building home have been provided with temporary accommodation by the American Red Cross. Police say that the case is still open and they are awaiting the results of toxicology tests.<
The penalties for drunk driving are usually severe in Tennessee when accidents that result in serious injury or death are involved. Criminal defense attorneys may advocate for more lenient treatment during plea negotiations by bringing mitigating factors, such as the defendant’s sincere remorse, to the attention of prosecutors. Attorneys could also argue that factors other than impairment may have played a role. Such factors could include adverse weather, a mechanical failure of some sort or a poor road surface.