Va. panel rejects 'sleep driving' argument
A three-judge Appeals Court panel in Virginia upheld the conviction of a Loudoun County man who argued that he was "sleep-driving" when he got into a car accident after taking prescription medication, the Washington Examiner reports.
Joshua K. Shortt was involved in a car accident Oct. 7, 2008, according to court documents. He hit another car while driving on a highway in Loudoun County. When the other driver pulled over, Shortt hit the car again, according to the documents.
A few hours after the incident, tests found Ambien, a prescription sleep aid, and Benadryl, an over-the-counter allergy medicine, in Shortt's system. He was convicted of driving under the influence of drugs. Shortt argued that he voluntarily ingested the Ambien, for which he had a prescription, but argues that he was involuntarily intoxicated and "sleep-driving."
Read more about the Virginia "sleep driving" case in the Washington Examiner:
By
Washington Post editors
| November 12, 2010; 11:01 AM ET
Categories:
Crime and Public Safety, Virginia
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Posted by: sneed727 | November 14, 2010 11:04 PM | Report abuse
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For the past three years, I have lived with a nightmare that has haunted me every day. I took an ambien one night and fell asleep on the couch. When I woke, I was in the hospital with tubes down my throat and my limbs were binded down to the bed. The doctors told me that under the influence of Ambien, I burned down my house. This was a horrifying experience which has cost me financially and personally. My life has been very painful since.