Charged with Reckless Driving?

Posted by Mark Matney of Holcomb Law, PC Newport News, VA
www.matneylawpllc.com
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Charged with Reckless Driving?

I understand what it means to be charged with the misdemeanor of reckless driving. I was driving toward a tunnel in light traffic that was flowing smoothly when suddenly I realized that the car in front of me had made a complete stop. I applied the brakes, but had a rear end collision with the stopped car. The force of the impact caused my airbags to deploy, bruising my chest. The other driver was also injured. Police and emergency personnel arrived so quickly that I did not speak with the other driver, but I saw him with blood on his face as he went to the ambulance. When I spoke with the trooper I was crying, between the shock of the accident, the appearance of the injured driver and the pain in my own chest. The trooper was kind as he helped me handle the paperwork, arrange for the removal of my vehicle and alert my wife. Ultimately, the trooper gave me a summons for reckless driving with an accident.

Initially, I was concerned about the injury to the other driver and my own chest pain. After the shock subsided and the reassurance that my chest was only bruised, I started to worry about other things. How serious was the injury to the other driver? Did I have enough insurance for a major injury? (I learned that the blood that looked so bad at the accident scene was just a bloody nose and the personal injury claim was resolved before my court date). Would a misdemeanor conviction affect my license to practice law? (Not reckless driving).

Later, I had to face the court date. As I considered the approaching day, I felt both a sense of dread about the possibility of a bad outcome and a longing to have the whole incident behind me. On the court date, as I waited for my case to be called, I worried about how the judge would handle my case. When I was finally summoned to present my case, it felt uncomfortable telling my own story to the judge instead of being there to help someone else. The trooper in my case described the incident in a manner that led the judge to declare, “Mr. Matney, it seems the trooper does not think that I should find you guilty of reckless driving.” I replied, “I concur with the trooper your honor.” Ultimately, the judge dismissed the charge based on the combination of the trooper’s testimony, the driver improvement course and my clear driving record.

I understand the anxiety that comes with receiving a summons for reckless driving. That is why my staff and I come alongside our clients to help make the process as simple as possible. We assist our clients by rescheduling court dates, gathering documents and videos necessary for understanding and defending the charges, keeping them informed and ensuring that they know what to expect on their court dates.