A Greyhound bus driver is facing an upgraded DUI charge in connection with an accident that injured 22 people last month in Mississippi.
Greyhound Driver May Have Been Speeding on I-55 On-Ramp
Erika Nixon, 31, had just driven away from the Jackson, Mississippi Greyhound station, when her bus overturned in heavy rains on the Pascagoula Street on-ramp to I-55 south.
Paramedics transferred 22 passengers to area hospitals. Although their injuries weren’t life-threatening, at least one person reportedly suffered broken bones.
According to a police report released last Friday, several passengers said Nixon was speeding when she lost control of her bus. Others indicated the vehicle flipped at least three times after it left the road.
Greyhound Bus Driver Had .15 BAC Night of Crash
Nixon failed a breathalyzer test at the scene, and police charged her with misdemeanor DUI within hours of the January 2nd crash.
She plead not guilty to that charge the following day and was released on a secured bond.
Apparently, Jackson Police upgraded the charge to Felony Aggravated DUI on February 9th, after a blood test revealed that Nixon had a .15 blood alcohol content (BAC) the night of the accident.
Aggravated Felony DUI in Mississippi
In Mississippi, a commercial driver is legally intoxicated when their BAC is .04 percent or greater. The state permits Aggravated Felony DUI charges when any driver:
- Has a high BAC
- Causes property damage
- Has a child in the car
- Drives through a school zone
- Drives a school bus
- Has prior DUI convictions, especially if they’re within the lookback period
- Doesn’t have a valid driver’s license
- Causes serious injury or death.
A conviction carries a possible prison sentence between five and 25 years, even for first-time offenders. Upon release, those convicted of Aggravated Felony DUI must obtain an ignition interlock system as a restriction on their drivers license for a period of five years.
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