Over the holiday weekend Jason Spurlin was driving with his girlfriend, Amanda Murray and two others, Anna Dubois and Nick Kelly. According to the police he was drunk and speeding. He lost control of his car around 1:15 in the morning, left the road and struck a tree. Spurlin survived but all passengers were killed. Apparently Murray and Spurlin have a five week old child together. Spurlin will now likely have to face three counts of Motor Vehicle Homicide. At least for now the case will be prosecuted in the Wrentham District Court.
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Three Killed In Massachusetts Drunk Driving Accident, Driver To Face OUI Motor Vehicle Homicide Charges
The biggest question raised by this article is how did the police determine that Spurlin was drunk at the time of the accident. There is no mention of a breathalyzer test or field sobriety tests nor is there any indication that there exist any witnesses to the accident. It is likely that if Spurlin was injured during the crash he was taken to the hospital. There, his blood might have been taken as is often the case when people get admitted to the hospital. While these tests are the most reliable forms of evaluating a person’s blood alcohol level they certainly are not infallible. Not all technicians are properly trained in taking the blood sample particularly in the case where they might be looking to test for alcohol. For instance, if yeast in introduced into the blood sample it might yield an inaccurate high false positive reading. Contaminated tubing can effect the reading. Improper labeling of the sample can be problematic. Swabbing with alcohol will often result in a high reading that lacks accuracy. If blood is the determining factor in Spurlin’s case there is no doubt that his attorney will scrutinize the process by which the blood was taken and analyzed.
Stephen Neyman defends people accused of Motor Vehicle Homicide OUI. Anyone charged with a crime like this should immediately hire a lawyer. Do not jeopardize your rights. Call us now to discuss your case. We can be reached at 617-263-6800 or you can contact us online.