Illinois woman charged with aggravated DUI

A woman in Illinois is facing two counts of aggravated DUI following an accident on an interstate ramp. The woman was driving with two passengers and apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing the car to roll over.

The front-seat passenger, who reportedly was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and suffered serious injuries. Both passengers are expected to survive. The driver reportedly declined medical care and is currently being held on $20,000 bail. She is set to appear in court in mid-July.

In Illinois, driving under the influence of alcohol can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on various factors. In most cases, drivers with no previous DUI convictions who have a blood alcohol level of .08 or above will face Class A misdemeanor charges. However, in cases with aggravating factors, a driver could be convicted of an aggravated DUI, which is classified as a felony in Illinois. Some of these factors may include prior DUI convictions, driving without a valid driver’s license or insurance or a DUI accident that resulted in great bodily harm or death.

While misdemeanor DUIs generally have a maximum sentence of less than one year in prison, felony aggravated DUIs can result in much longer sentences and additional penalties. For example, an aggravated DUI charge can result in mandatory jail time, as well as substantial fines and longer license suspensions. A DUI defense strategy may be able to help defendants craft a plan to face the charges. With the right defense strategy, defendants may be able to avoid some or all of these potential consequences.