A drug counselor that drove into a man, knocked him out of his shoes and onto her car's hood, and then continued to drive for two miles until she was overcome by other motorists, according to USA Today and other media outlets, has been charged with murder and DUI.
S.W., allegedly driving her convertible home from her job as an addiction counselor, was found to have a blood alcohol level that was more than double the legal driving limit. She explained to police that the reason she didn't stop after striking the victim, P.M., was because she was in a state of panic over what she had done.
S.W. is an admitted drug addict, served time in prison for burglary and for drug possession, before she became a drug and alcohol counselor.
A co-worker at the treatment facility, T.J., who is also a recovering alcoholic, commented, "I'm headed for (a) meeting tonight. It's unfortunate and it's tragic and it's sad, but it's a reminder that the disease of addiction can take you out at any time."
S.W. has been ordered held on a $2.25 million bail.
Family attorney Kevin Danesh said, "We thank the citizens who stopped (S.W.) and gave him (P.M.) some peace in his waning moments. Anyone who would dare to drink and drive, let this be a lesson to them."
Both the police, and members of P.M.'s family, doubt that S.W. was driving home from work at the time of the accident – due to the lateness of the hour.
At approximately 11 p.m. a bartender at "The Branch Office" said that P.M., after consuming three beers, left on foot to walk home. After traveling about ½ block he reached what would later be, at about midnight, the scene of the accident. The bartender, V.Z., later reported, "We started seeing a bunch of lights and we went out and the cops said it was a hit-and-run, but we had no clue who it was."
D.L., the CEO for the Twin Town Treatment Centers, said that S.W. was hired by the company a year ago, after obtaining a degree in drug counseling at Loyola Marymount University. D.L. said that S.W. had been assigned to work with other addicts in a group treatment setting in the evenings at the Torrance facility. Her performance was evaluated by patients in the program and she had often earned high marks.
According to T.J., S.W. was also known for staying late if needed and working one-on-one with patients. T.J. said, "…Everybody loved (S.W.), the employees, the patients, just everybody loved her."
A Myspace profile, that was confirmed by D.L. to be S.W.'s , read, "I used to be into drugs very heavy, with that came terrible choices, the loss of all my family and freedom…"
Recovering addicts may have some trouble with repeat charges of DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI, however, that doesn't automatically make them guilty. Contact a DUI attorney for help with your defense today!