Drunk Woman Smashes Through Long Island Home
A 21-year-old Brooklyn woman is thanking her lucky stars after an early Monday morning crash. At about 4 a.m., Sophia Anderson, 21, and a male passenger plowed through a Long Island stop sign and straight into the home of 96-year-old Helen Indiere.
The car took out two rooms and a number of appliances before landing in the yard, where it slammed into a cypress tree. It thankfully missed Indiere and her live-in health aide, both of whom were sleeping about 20 feet away.
Anderson allegedly refused to take a Breathalyzer at the scene, according to Newsday, but it's been reported that she failed a field sobriety test. A neighbor also told the New York Post that the 21-year-old was slurring her words at the time.
Attorney John LoTurco has stated that Anderson is "very remorseful," and has alleged other potential reasons for the crash. Right in front of Indiere's home is a "T" intersection -- you can turn right or left, but not straight unless you'd like to enter her driveway.
LoTurco believes Sophia Anderson may have missed the stop sign because she had fallen asleep or lost control of the vehicle, explains Newsday. While plausible, these explanations aren't that much better than being drunk.
Driving while fatigued is a form of reckless driving, since motorists are "unreasonably endanger[ing] users of the public highway." Both a first-offense DWI and a reckless driving charge are misdemeanors that could end in license suspension, fines and jail time.
So no matter what Sophia Anderson's attorney claims, she probably won't be allowed behind the wheel for some time.
Related Resources:
- 'DWI' B'klyn woman smashes right through home on Long Island (New York Post)
- Find a NYC DWI Lawyer (FindLaw)
- Sky Express Bus Driver Charged: Reckless Driving (FindLaw Blotter)