Driving under the influence is dangerous, and facilitates thousands of deaths in the United States every year. When a person operates a fast-moving vehicle when he or she is not even capable of walking in a straight line it is never a good idea. Many times a person will drive to the bar and drink more than he or she expected to. Because he or she didn’t designate a ride before heading to the bar, the drunken individual may assume that he or she needs to drive home. It may sound embarrassing to call a friend or family member to meet you at the bar or you may not want to spend the money on a cab. Yet it would be much more embarrassing to end up in jail because you were driving under the influence. Worse, driving while intoxicated could facilitate your death or the death of an innocent individual out on the road.

According to The Los Angeles Times, an actress named Sammi Kane Kraft recently lost her life after she collided with another car in a DUI accident. Kraft was best known for her role in in the 2005 remake of the baseball movie Bad News Bears. Kraft starred in the movie alongside Billy Bob Thornton as the sassy character Amanda Whurlitzer. The original movie started Tatum O-Neal. Whurlitzer is the only girl member of a baseball team and is able to gain the respect of the boys by throwing a “really fast fireballer.” She says that she didn’t ever want to fill Tatum O-Neal’s shoes in performing the role but was hoping that she could add a new spin on the classic character. In addition to acting, Kraft was a singer-guitarist and was attending Santa Monica College in California.

Kraft was a passenger in the Audi when her friend and driver Molly Kate Adams sped down the 10 freeway while intoxicated. The two friends were seen pulling onto the freeway and reaching illegal speeds at about 10 a.m. on Thursday night. The police believe that the Audi was rear-ended by a large truck when Adams slammed on the brakes. The Audi then spun and was hit by another fast-moving car on the highway. Police arrived at the scene of the accident to find that Adams was all right, but Kraft was in critical condition. She was taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but was not able to recover. She died in the hospital bed. Adams was taken to the police station after a check-up and diagnosis at a local hospital. She will be held somewhat responsible for her friend’s early death.

According to Kraft’s brother, the young woman was returning from a show with a friend when she was killed in the accident. She had been in LA at a rock concert trying to network with other band members. Adams may face charges for DUI manslaughter as a result of the collision, which could mean that she may spend year of her life in prison. The 21-year-old will be tried as an adult after her BAC test result arrive at the police station. If you have been charged with DUI manslaughter, you will need a hardworking attorney to come to your aid and help you with your case. You may want to argue for a lower sentence through a plea bargain. If you were not legally over the limit, then you may be able to argue that you can’t be convicted of a DUI. You can also ask for police reports on the accident. While you may have been intoxicated, your sentence may be lowered if you were not at fault for the accident. In Adams’ case, she may be able to argue that she was rear-ended by the truck. Therefore, she may be able to cast blame on that driver. Contact a DUI attorney today to explore what defenses are available to you!