What do a shopping cart full of laundry detergent, a paramedic truck, and a hit-and-run accident all have in common? Nothing, really, unless you are the Orange County, California man who was recently arrested for driving under the influence of drugs. Allow me to explain…
53-year-old Ronald Ledesma was at a Mission Viejo Vons supermarket one afternoon about two weeks ago when, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, he stole a shopping cart full of laundry detergent. The Orange County Register, which reported the story, does not indicate whether police have determined Ledesma’s motive for the odd theft. Maybe he had a laundry emergency or something.
After absconding with the detergent, Ledesma sped away in his car, presumably with the stolen merchandise. In his haste, Ledesma failed to stop at a red light and crashed into an Orange County Fire Authority paramedic truck. Surprisingly, Ledesma did not stop and exchange insurance information with the other driver or wait for the police. In fact, he drove away. A witness to the accident followed Ledesma for awhile, and the Sheriff’s Deputies apprehended him a short while later.
While none of this makes a lot of sense, there may at least be an explanation: law enforcement officials suspect Ledesma was high during his crime spree. He has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, burglary, and felony hit-and-run. Bizzare and comical as it may sound, Ledesma’s conduct was fraught with danger for everyone involved. Although some DUIs are amusing, they are always irresponsible and reckless and the product of very poor judgment, and they carry with them the potential for sad, and sometimes tragic, endings.
If you have been pulled over for drunk driving in Orange County, you should contact a DUI lawyer in the area right away so that you can defend yourself at trial, or even have the charges against you reduced or dismissed altogether. Although many people believe a conviction for drunk driving is virtually certain, that is not always true. A tough, competent and experienced Orange County DUI lawyer can study the facts of your case and assess the strength of the prosecution’s evidence. DUI trials are very fact-specific, and your lawyer can use his or her knowledge of the law and apply them to the facts of your case and advise you of your options. Even a defendant like Ledesma is entitled to competent counsel. Being pulled over and charged with DUI might sound like the end of the world, but it isn’t. The consequences of a conviction can indeed be serious and long-lasting, but your DUI lawyer may be able to find a way to obtain a fair and reasonable resolution and avoid the worst penalties.
