Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs does not just have the potential to end up with a DUI charge. There are plenty of other charges you could face depending on the circumstances.
The Department of Safety & Homeland Security explains any time an officer pulls you over for a suspected DUI, you could face a charge for refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test. This is the implied consent law that says when you get a driver’s license in the state, you give your consent to taking such a test.
Child endangerment
If you have a child under the age of 18 in the vehicle at the time of your traffic stop, you could also face charges for child endangerment. The charges become more severe if you are in an accident and the child suffers an injury.
Accident charges
In the event you have an accident while driving under the influence, there are a few different charges you could face. Vehicular assault charges could result from causing someone else to have a serious injury.
Aggravated vehicular assault may result from an accident where you injure someone else and you have a blood alcohol level of .20 or more. It also requires having one prior DUI conviction or a previous vehicular assault conviction.
The most serious charge that could result is vehicular homicide. This will happen if someone dies because you cause an accident while driving intoxicated and have a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher.
All of these additional charges bring much more severe penalties than you would get with a simple DUI charge.