It is one of a parent’s worst nightmares to hear that the bus his or her child was riding was involved in an accident. What may add to a parent’s anger and stress is when he or she learns the accident was caused by someone driving under the influence or drugs or alcohol. The parents of a young student from Knoxville are likely experiencing such emotions when the bus their child was riding in was struck by an inebriated driver. Now, that driver is in police custody, facing charges for drunk driving.

The accident occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 16, and involved a Knox County school bus and a pickup truck. The driver of the pickup, a 53-year-old man from Knoxville, crossed the center line and collided head-on with the bus. The occupants of the bus, which included a student, the bus driver and a teaching assistant, each suffered injuries not deemed life-threatening and were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The pickup driver also suffered a head injury, but he reportedly remained on the scene.

The pickup driver reeked of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet, according to the responding officer. The man subsequently failed the field sobriety test and was taken into custody. He admitted to have been drinking just prior to the wreck, and police discovered an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. This man has been in trouble with the law in the past, including a previous DUI conviction, for which his license was revoked. He was also driving without insurance.

Despite any past run-ins with the law, this man is still entitled to competent criminal defense counsel to help him fight the charges he is facing. Since this is not his first drunk driving charge, the potential consequences he could face will increase upon conviction, so he will do well to retain counsel as soon as possible. An astute criminal defense attorney can challenge all evidence in the case as well as the factors that led to this man’s arrest in an attempt to secure the most favorable outcome possible.