Teen Cleared of DUI After Blood Test Results Returned

September 19, 2019

A teen from South Carolina who was initially charged with DUI after a crash in May which resulted in the death a friend of hers has had the charges dismissed after the results of the blood test were returned.

Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins explained that a judge threw out the case on Tuesday, August 13th after the results of the blood test of Savannah Hutchinson, aged 17, showed no traces of drugs or alcohol.

The girl had been charged with a felony DUI resulting in death. The crash took place on May 7th, and resulted in the death of Savannah’s friend Dayton Gayle Sellers. Sellers was a ‘country lady’, and is described as being ‘the salt of the earth’ and having a smile that lit up the room.

TheState reports (https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article234485677.html) that the judge moved quickly to dismiss the case during a preliminary hearing as there was no evidence of Savannah’s impairment.

Hutchinson’s attorney said that the girl had always denied being under the influence of drugs or alcohol and that she was not given a breathalyzer test when she was questioned by investigators at the hospital. Wilkins was not able to explain why the teen was charged with DUI, however, he said that investigators believed that they had noticed the smell of alcohol on her.

Sellers, aged 18, died at the scene of the crash. Neither Sellers not Hutchinson or the other passenger in the vehicle were wearing seat belts when the crash occurred. The Kia sedan went off the road and ran down the embankment, then rolled over before crashing. Sellers was partially ejected from the vehicle and suffered blunt force trauma in multiple places, which is what led to her death. Hutchinson and the third passenger in the vehicle were treated for their injuries at a nearby hospital.

Wilkins notes that Hutchinson may still be charged with reckless driving now that the charge of DUI has been dropped.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, contact Connell Law Firm today.