Largo Woman Charged with DUI After Accident Injures Toddler

Dona Joyner of Largo was charged with child neglect and driving under the influence with accident and injury, after a single car accident in October injured a two-year-old.

Joyner was arrested Sunday after test results showed that her blood alcohol level was above the legal presumption for intoxication.
According to arrest reports, Joyner was driving with the little girl at about 10:15am on October 21st. Her SUV hit a fence and flipped several times.

She and the child were hospitalized after the wreck. Investigators had Joyner’s blood drawn at the hospital. Toxicology reports indicated her blood alcohol content was 0.149 and 0.151, nearly twice the threshold at which Florida law presumes that someone is unable to safely drive a motor vehicle (0.08).

The child’s injuries were apparently not life-threatening.

Media reports did not indicate whether Joyner had any previous alcohol-related arrests or convictions. If this is a first-offense, she faces up to five years in prison if the injury to the child is determined to be “serious” or up to a year in jail for non-serious injury.

It is not unusual for law enforcement to seek blood samples if a suspected drunk driver is taken the hospital after an accident or traffic stop. The assistance of an experienced Florida DUI defense attorney can be vital to avoiding or defending against DUI charges. Whether the DUI defense attorney is engaged early in the process – at the hospital – or later, after test results are returned and an arrest warrant is issued, experienced legal assistance is key obtaining the best possible outcome for each defendant.