Defendant Awaits Jury Verdict for DUI Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide Case
Jurors deliberate the fate of a driver accused of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. In December 2006, Richard Hutchinson drove his truck across the median and struck the victim's lightweight SUV. The victim, Joan Wilkins, died on impact.
Hutchinson was taken to a Lakeland hospital on that early December morning for treatment of injuries related to the accident. The authorities and hospital staff failed to have the defendant's blood sample taken until almost 5 hours after the crash. The test showed that Hutchinson had a blood alcohol level of .73; below the Florida legal limit is .08.
A drinker's BAC or Blood Alcohol Concentration is based on several factors: size, age, weight, gender, physical condition, chosen alcoholic beverage and the amount of sleep and food consumption by the drinker. Once an individual's blood alcohol level has peaked, the human body breaks down the alcohol and the level decreases. It is my understanding that a blood level not taken until 5 hours after the crash would most definitely have an impact on the reading of the alcohol level.
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