Fatal DWI Crash Ends in Second Degree Murder Charges

A Maysville head-on crash killed one person and injured another when an allegedly drunk driver of a GMC pickup crossed the yellow line and hit an oncoming Cadillac CTS. The GMC driver also hit another car, a Chevy Equinox, but that driver was not injured.

Police arrested the driver of the GMC and he was charged with DUI/DWI, felony death by motor vehicle and second degree murder. This is the second DUI charge for the truck driver. He was driving on a restricted license at the time of the DUI/DWI crash.

The driver was initially released on a $100,000 bond following the weekend arrest. A bond is a sum of money that someone charged with a crime must pay in order to get out of jail as a promise to return to court for a hearing.

Although the Constitution protects individuals from unreasonable bond or bail amounts, very few people can actually afford to put up the full amount of a court-ordered bond in order to get out of jail and must seek out a bail bond. Bail bondsmen are available throughout North Carolina and typically charge 10-15 percent of the bond amount for their services.

If you’re arrested and taken to jail, your first thought might be coming up with the money to get out of jail. But, there may be a benefit to waiting for the bond review hearing before posting bond to bail out of jail. A couple of days in jail, if you’re arrested over the weekend, may result in saving a few thousand dollars on the bond fee itself.

After his first court appearance, the pickup truck driver was taken back into custody on a $350,000 secured bond. A secured bond means that the entire value, in this case $350,000, must be put up in support of the bail bond, or a piece of property must be pledged as security for the amount of the bond.

Source: Eyewitness News 9, “Man charged with DWI, 2nd Degree Murder, makes first court appearance after fatal car accident,” Tony Rawlings, March 19, 2012