Interestingly enough, the most active date for Operating a Vehicle while Impaired (OVI) crashes and OVI arrests in Ohio may not be when you expect it. Whether coinciding with March Madness or some other events, the most active date wasn’t July 4th weekend, Labor Day or Memorial Day weekend, but the second weekend in March. Analysis of the relatively newly created Ohio State Highway Patrol OVI dashboard reveals that on March 13, 2021, which happened to be a Saturday night, statewide the Ohio State Patrol made 185 OVI arrests. Of those 185 arrests, 60 involved OVI related crashes.
Through the end of November 2021 YTD, the Ohio State Patrol has investigated a total of 7,073 OVI crashes. Of that amount, 2,915 involved minor injuries, 1,009 of those involved serious injuries, and 504 of those had fatalities.
Sobering? You bet. The State of Ohio has some of the strictest OVI laws in the country. OVI is a serious criminal offense that can involve significant jail time, fines, and license suspension. A person can commit an OVI violation whether they are impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.
- There are several ways that someone can commit an OVI: If a person operates a vehicle in Ohio and at the time of operation is under the influence of alcohol, drug of abuse, or a combination of both;’
- If a person operates a vehicle in Ohio and at the time of operation the person has a concentration of alcohol, certain controlled substances, or metabolites of certain controlled substances, in the persons blood, breath, or urine which is at or over the “legal limit;”
- If a person operates a vehicle in Ohio under the influence of alcohol, drug of abuse, or a combination of them and refuses to submit to a chemical test after being arrested and asked to submit to a test and has a prior OVI in the past twenty (20) years; or
- If a person is under 21 years of age and operates a motor vehicle and has a concentration of alcohol in their blood, breath, or urine which is at or over the “under 21 legal limit.”
There are serious consequences associated with being arrested for OVI involving not only the underlying offense but your actions in submitting to a breathalyzer or blood test associated with the allegation of impairment. Refusal of a test has significant consequences on your ability to maintain a valid drivers license, however, submitting to a test which leads to results indicating impairment also has enormous ramifications on your ability to maintain a valid drivers license.
Regardless, if confronted with a situation where you are facing an OVI charge you need immediate and competent legal representation. At Pickrel, Schaeffer, and Ebeling, we are here to help and are very experience in all of the ramifications associated with Ohio’s OVI laws. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do this alone. Your trusted advisors as Pickrel, Schaeffer, and Ebeling will guide you through this process and ensure that your rights are protected.
For questions regarding OVI contact L. Michael Bly, Esq. at Pickrel, Schaeffer, and Ebeling at (937) 223-1130. Most of all, please have a safe, responsible, and joyous holiday season.
