A man was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after a fatal accident in Fresno. The two-car crash resulted in a woman’s death. It occurred on a Wednesday evening.

Events leading up to the collision

The recent California accident happened at around 5:45 p.m. According to law enforcement personnel, a man who was headed southbound in a pickup truck rear-ended a box truck. Authorities said the man was too inebriated to stop the pickup and, thus, could not avoid the wreck. His vehicle came to a rest about 15 feet under the truck, shearing its rear axle.

Authorities reported that the man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. A woman passenger in the pickup passed away at the crash scene, while the box truck driver suffered minor injuries. Police arrested the man on charges of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter (felony). They said beer cans were in the pickup truck at the time of the crash. Police later found the driver and took him into custody for drinking and driving.

How an attorney can help

The man who has been arrested for drinking and driving has a couple of legal options. He may decide to go to court to fight the charges, or he may seek to strike a plea deal with the prosecution. If he goes to trial, California prosecutors must prove his charges beyond a reasonable doubt before he can be criminally convicted. If he pursues a plea agreement, he may receive lesser charges and a lighter sentence than what a guilty verdict at trial would have led to. Either way, an attorney will push for the most personally favorable outcome for the accused individual.