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Woman accused of hitting husband with car pleads guilty to DUI
A woman accused of using her car to hit her husband while he was on a motorcycle in Dandan in 2013 pleaded guilty yesterday to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo sentenced Denise Benavente to a year in prison, all suspended except for three days, with credit of three days of time served. That means she will no longer serve time in prison.
The 28-year-old Benavente was placed on supervised probation for a year. Her driver’s license was suspended for 30 days, but with limited privileges of driving to and from work, including emergencies.
During her probation, Benavente is prohibited from buying and drinking any alcoholic beverages. She was ordered to pay a $500 fine, $75 probation fee, and $25 court costs.
As part of the plea deal, the remaining charges of assault and battery, reckless driving, and disturbing the peace were dropped.
Defense attorney Brien Sers Nicholas served as counsel for Benavente. Assistant attorney general Chester Hinds represented the government.
According to a police’s preliminary investigation, the Benavente couple had been drinking with other people at their house on June 29, 2013, when Denise Benavente got into an argument with a family friend. She then allegedly got mad when her husband refused to take her side.
When her husband left on his motorcycle, she followed him on a car and allegedly hit the motorcycle twice. The husband crashed and sustained broken bones on his feet. He told police it was only an accident, but bystanders allegedly saw the car hitting the motorcycle twice.
Denise Benavente’s blood alcohol concentration was later found to be at .117. The legal BAC limit is .08.
