Wreckless driving-failure to maintain control of the vehicle citation. Questions

[McDanolds]

Hello on May 2nd I was on my way to Pennsylvania from South Carolina. I was coming home from college and was on I-295 heading north. I was doing the speed limit, even under a few miles. I was in the middle lane and as I was merging into the right lane. It felt as a bump had bounced my car, which i later had found out that my tire had come off and that was the bump i had felt, and then threw the car sideways and turned me 180 degrees and into the guardrail sliding for another 50ft untill coming to a full stop. The police came after I had called 911 and asked me for my information and questions about the accident. I was still in a state of shock because some of the stuff from college that i had in the back was on the side of the road, the back of my car was a metal hunk, and when my car had met the guard rail it had broken the glass on that whole side and i had to hold my head away from the rail until the vehicle had come to a stop.

I had told the officer what I could remember and he wrote me a ticket for reckless driving-failure to maintain control of the vehicle and told me I needed to be in court on a set date. I was polite to the officer, even said thank you for what help they provided. Which really wasn't any and they didn't even ask if I was alright. So I am questioning now, what are some ways I can fight this citation, if at all any, since the accident was caused by an unexpected technical fault with the tire falling off? There were no witnesses on scene except for myself being in the accident. Also what could happen to me if the charge isnt dropped? I know there would be a fine, but points on license, criminal record, etc? Since it is considered a misdemeanor?

 

[army judge]

Hello on May 2nd I was on my way to Pennsylvania from South Carolina. I was coming home from college and was on I-295 heading north. I was doing the speed limit, even under a few miles. I was in the middle lane and as I was merging into the right lane. It felt as a bump had bounced my car, which i later had found out that my tire had come off and that was the bump i had felt, and then threw the car sideways and turned me 180 degrees and into the guardrail sliding for another 50ft untill coming to a full stop. The police came after I had called 911 and asked me for my information and questions about the accident. I was still in a state of shock because some of the stuff from college that i had in the back was on the side of the road, the back of my car was a metal hunk, and when my car had met the guard rail it had broken the glass on that whole side and i had to hold my head away from the rail until the vehicle had come to a stop.

I had told the officer what I could remember and he wrote me a ticket for reckless driving-failure to maintain control of the vehicle and told me I needed to be in court on a set date. I was polite to the officer, even said thank you for what help they provided. Which really wasn't any and they didn't even ask if I was alright. So I am questioning now, what are some ways I can fight this citation, if at all any, since the accident was caused by an unexpected technical fault with the tire falling off? There were no witnesses on scene except for myself being in the accident. Also what could happen to me if the charge isnt dropped? I know there would be a fine, but points on license, criminal record, etc? Since it is considered a misdemeanor?

Reckless driving is often more than a traffic offense. In VA (if this didn't happen in VA, Google the "STATE NAME RECKLESS DRIVING"), a reckless driving conviction charges come from any traffic violation that is deemed more dangerous or serious than other traffic offenses. For example, speeding may only result in a traffic ticket, but if the speed is significant enough, a criminal charge may be levied. Many types of moving violations are considered reckless:

Driving in excess of 20mph above the posted speed limit
Driving at any speed over 80 mph
Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle
Failure to signal
Aggressive driving, such as weaving in and out of traffic
Passing a vehicle on a curve
Passing a stopped school bus
Driving with faulty brakes
Drag racing

With such a broad scope of moving violations that result in these charges, it is important you seek the advice of a qualified attorney who thoroughly understands that penalties and knows the subtleties and nuances of the local courts. Lawyers can thoroughly evaluate your case and aggressively dispute the evidence leading to your charge.

Whether you should hire a lawyer is up to you. A conviction for reckless driving can cause your insurance rates to increase. I suggest you hire a lawyer and try to fight it, or at leaset get it bargained down to a lesser charge.

 

[Ilovelaws]

Go seek a lawyer so that you would have all your questions answered. There are law firms who offer free evaluation of your case.