A one-vehicle accident in Faulkner led to the discovery that the woman arrested had acted intentionally when she struck vehicles.
Think you have a lemon, click here to fill out a 60 second form.
Maryland State Police say that 43-year-old Sarah H. Hornbeck hit two vehicles multiple times before she was taken into custody. She also struck an embankment in a location separate from that of either vehicle.
The vehicles were located in La Plata, Maryland, and Pomfret, Maryland. The incidents were called into police after Hornbeck was found in her Toyota Corolla along Route 301, where she had gone off the road and struck an embankment. Police at the scene discovered that Hornbeck was under the influence of alcohol and arrested her. Following the arrest, the discovery was made that she was connected to the hit-and-run incidents in La Plata and Pomfret.
Meanwhile, police report that after Hornbeck was in custody and handcuffed, she slipped out of the restraints and attempted to use her cell phone while in the back seat of the state police cruiser.
Officers, who were driving at the time, stopped the car. When they attempted to pull Hornbeck out to handcuff her a second time, she broke a pen and also grabbed the officer’s computer out of the vehicle.
For a first offense of DUI in Maryland, jail time can be up to one year. For Driving While Intoxicated, or DWI, the jail time can be two months. Meanwhile, a third offense will lead to a sentence of up to three years.
Fines for DWI can be up to $500 for the first offense and up to $3,000 for the third offense. Fines for DUI can be as high as $1,000 for the first offense and also up to $3,000 for the third offense.
The license suspension for a first offense will be six months for both DUI and DWI, while for a third offense the offender’s license can be suspended for a minimum of 18 months.
A situation like Hornbeck created is particularly dangerous, because it is proven that she was behind the wheel of her vehicle and traveled through three different areas where people live and children could have been crossing a street. The danger to pedestrians and other drivers is significant with an impaired driver on the roads, which is why it is wise to designate a driver or otherwise make sure to stay off the road when you have consumed alcoholic beverages.
Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.