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Police say that a woman behind the wheel in a rollover crash in Gaston County, North Carolina was sober when the accident occurred. Law enforcement believes the woman was texting when the accident happened. However, authorities say that she was not the one in control of the steering wheel. Law enforcement says that her passenger was steering-and officials say that the passenger was under the influence of alcohol.

Authorities have charged the sober 19-year-old driver with aiding and abetting driving while impaired in the incident. She is also accused of allowing an unlicensed person to drive.

The allegations follow a single-vehicle wreck that was reported around 9:15 Thursday evening on U.S. 321 near Dallas, North Carolina. Police say that the pickup truck the two young women were traveling in left the road, struck a road sign and apparently rolled more than one time.

The female passenger was thrown from the pickup in the rollover. She suffered serious injuries and was taken to Gaston Memorial Hospital, where she was listed in Fair condition by Friday. Police believe that the passenger had been steering the truck when it wrecked. Police say that charges may be pending for the female passenger.

Meanwhile, the 19-year-old driver, a Lincolnton, North Carolina resident, was booked into the Gaston County Jail early Friday morning and was later released.

A first time aiding and abetting charge in North Carolina can lead to harsh consequences if a person is convicted. Typically, the consequences of an aiding and abetting DWI conviction can be very similar to a level 5 DWI offense.

Sources:

• WSOC TV, “Authorities: Teens were texting, drinking before serious crash,” March 29, 2013
• Gaston Gazette, “Police: Impaired passenger steers car, wrecks on highway,” Wade Allen, March 29, 2013

Greenville DUI Attorney Blog | North Carolina Underage Drinking Lawyer | Pitt County First DUI Law Firm

Agents from Alcohol Law enforcement in North Carolina were dispatched to an abandoned house in September in New Hanover County. Sheriff’s officials had called on the division for assistance investigating an alleged underage drinking party at the abandoned home. Reports suggest that as many as 200 people had attended the soiree. Not all of the people were underage.

Police say that party-goers ranged I age from 16 to 55-years-old. Initially, deputies issued citations to 16 people for alleged underage drinking offenses at the September 22 party. Officials say that two kegs were hauled from the scene.

But the alleged underage party resulted in more than alleged alcohol offenses. Law enforcement asserts that two people were stabbed at the gathering. Both reportedly were treated and released from an area hospital.

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office says that four adults are now facing charges related to the alleged party. Officials say that more charges may come in the future. For now, four people have been charged with aiding and abetting offenses for their alleged roles in the event.

An 18-year-old Rocky Point, North Carolina teen has been charged with 16 counts of aiding and abetting an underage person.

In addition to the young teen, a 19-year-old Riegelwood resident, a 24-year-old from Rocky Point and a 39-year-old, also from Rocky Point North Carolina, all face 16 counts of aiding and abetting. Each of the three has also been charged with selling alcohol without a permit and license.

Authorities claim that cups of beer were sold at the abandoned house in Castle Hayne, North Carolina for a piece during the party in September.

Source: WECT-TV, “Four charged in alleged underage drinking party in Castle Hayne,” Nov. 15, 2012

Greenville DUI Attorney Blog | North Carolina Underage Drinking Lawyer | Pitt County First DUI Law Firm

Two adults from the Whiteville, North Carolina area are facing charges for allegedly supplying alcohol to a minor. Authorities claim the 47-year-old and 51-year-old defendants were implicated in supplying alcohol to a 19-year-old Clarkton, North Carolina man who crashed his car May 3 on Shade Fisher Road south of Chadbourn, North Carolina.

A 21-year-old passenger was killed in the car accident. Authorities investigated the accident and initially accused the teenage driver with underage drunk driving. Over the summer, authorities upped the ante against the 19-year-old and added a charge of death by motor vehicle.

The two adults have been more recently brought into criminal court are each accused of aiding and abetting charges. The 47-year-old woman is accused of aiding and abetting underage possession and consumption of alcohol and a count of giving alcohol to a minor. The second defendant faces charges for aiding and abetting underage possession and consumption of alcohol.

Agents from the North Carolina Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement say that the two men involved in the May 3rd crash had attended a party at the home of the two adults who now face the aiding and abetting charges.

North Carolina law provides authorities with a wide variety of options in the state’s efforts to control underage drinking. Not only can teens face direct underage alcohol offenses, including underage drunk driving, but authorities can pursue a wide variety of aiding and abetting type charges. In addition, North Carolina has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the amount of alcohol needed to pursue underage drinking or underage DUI charges.

This blog has previously reported that criminal charges for anyone over the age of 16 are brought in adult court in North Carolina.

Source: Fayette Observer, “Whiteville-area couple charged with serving alcohol to underage driver involved in fatal wreck,” Deuce Niven, Oct. 13, 2012

Greenville DUI Attorney Blog | North Carolina Underage Drinking Lawyer | Pitt County First DUI Law Firm

North Carolina State troopers say that a man was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired twice within a four-to-five-hour period July 5. After the first DWI arrest in Maysville, North Carolina, the man bonded out of jail, and was arrested just a few hours later on suspicion of DWI in Jones County. Troopers say that the accused was impaired by pills. News reports do not identify what substance law enforcement believes impaired the man while driving.

A friend of the accused had gone to the jail after the 1:30 a.m. arrest to sign the man out of jail. Police claim that the man who had bonded out of jail later wrecked his pickup truck and was arrested again on a slate of charges, including DWI, resisting arrest and drug possession charges within hours of his first DWI arrest.

Now, law enforcement is seeking charges against the friend who signed and bonded the man out of jail after the first DWI arrest. The investigating North Carolina trooper reportedly has issued a warrant, charging the friend with aiding and abetting DWI. The trooper believes that the friend had enabled the man originally accused of DWI to get behind the wheel of his pickup truck while impaired a second time within hours of the first DWI arrest.

Greenville DWI defense lawyers know that aiding and abetting charges are serious matters. Many Pitt County area residents may be surprised by aiding and abetting alcohol offense or DWI charges. In some cases, the person charges with aiding and abetting may not have been present at the time that the principle offense allegedly occurred. This blog has previously discussed aiding and abetting underage alcohol offense cases in prior entries.

Sources:

• WITN, “Double DWI Case Nets More Charges,” Carly Swain, July 10, 2012
• WCTI, “Man Charged With Back-To-Back DWI’s, Parents Bail Him Out,” Jon Erickson, July 5, 2012

Greenville DUI Attorney Blog | North Carolina Underage Drinking Lawyer | Pitt County First DUI Law Firm

North Carolina’s underage drinking laws can be broad and apply to people who are not at the scene of an underage drinking incident. Earlier this month, this blog reported that a Raleigh teen is facing a slew of charges in relation to an alleged drunk driving crash that followed a high school party that allegedly including underage drinking.

North Carolina authorities now report that additional charges have been filed in relation to the alleged events that happened on January 7. Special agents with North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement say that they arrested a 21-year-old Raleigh man in connection with the case. The man has been charged with four counts of aiding and abetting underage possession of alcohol.

Two of the counts relate to the two teens who were involved in the January 7 accident. Agents believe the Raleigh adult may have provided alcohol to the driver accused of DWI in the fatal car accident and also to the young woman who died in the crash. The driver is facing charges ranging from felony death by motor vehicle to provisional DWI and a variety of other charges.

Two other aiding and abetting counts against the 21-yuear-old Raleigh man apparently relate to two other females who were not involved in the accident.

ALE officials claim the Raleigh adult purchased two 1.75-liter containers of flavored rum at the Wake County ABC store on January 6.

The high school party and the car accident that reportedly followed the party remain under investigation. ALE agents say that additional charges are likely in relation to the investigation.

Source: Raleigh Telegram, “Police Charge Man With Giving Alcohol To Raleigh Students In Deadly Crash,” Jan. 23, 2012

Greenville DUI Attorney Blog | North Carolina Underage Drinking Lawyer | Pitt County First DUI Law Firm