On the early morning hours of May 31, a 17-year-old St. Louis girl drove to the emergency room in Chesterfield to drop off a friend who needed treatment. After bringing the friend into the hospital, the teen went to move her car. In the process, she collided with a parked vehicle and the emergency room entrance.

When authorities responded to the site of the crash, they noticed that the teenager backed up right into the glass hospital door. Although no details about why they suspected the teen was drinking before getting behind the wheel, authorities have struck the 17 year old with an “operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated” charge.

If a person is under 21, they are held to a stricter standard in terms of Missouri drunk driving laws. An underage driver doesn’t have to surpass the 0.08 percent blood-alcohol concentration threshold to face driving while intoxicated charges. As such, a young person’s driving privileges could be put on hold even if they have a very small amount of alcohol in their system.

Facing underage drinking charges alone can be damaging for young people looking to pursue educational or professional opportunities. However, being charged for drunk driving as an underage person can be devastating, which is why it’s particularly important to assemble a thoughtful defense.

As this particular case moves forward, it will be important to examine all angles of the case. Perhaps the teenager was shaken up about taking her friend to the hospital, which contributed to the accident. Whatever the case, these charges have the potential to be damaging, especially since the girl has so many years ahead of her.

Source: Riverfront Times, “Police: Drunk Teen Driver Crashes Into Glass Window At St. Luke’s Hospital E.R.,” Sam Levin, May 31, 2013