Any LEOs here?

[cuninglinguist61]

I have a question about typical procedure pertaining to a story that I'm writing and would like to keep it as realistic as possible.
Basically, in my story one of my characters crashes her car into a tree in front of her house driving home drunk. She hides in her house and doesn't answer her door when the police show up after the neighbors call about the crash. (She's passed out drunk) What would SOP be in this situation? Would her car be towed, left in front of the house ...???

Thanks in advance!!

 

[sr71plt]

If the tree was on her property and no part of the car extended into the road beyond a legal parking space, the police wouldn't tow it away (in the United States). The community might have covenants that require that she have it removed in a certain number of days, though.

 

[cuninglinguist61]

Cool! Thanks for the info!!

 

[Hypoxia]

The author can specify the local legal environment.

If the woman refuses to answer when the police knock, they can claim "probable cause" and force their way inside, and a friendly local judge may back them on that. It happens. Her crashed car can be searched as an accident scene and something found inside (like an empty booze bottle) justifies the house entry. What's allowed really depends on the local judicial attitude. A judge whose spouse or child was killed by a drunk driver might understandably give cops wide leeway in investigating such cases.

If the setting is a private community, its covenants may allow hired security (some of whom may be sworn LEOs moonlighting) to enter without a warrant. Do such covenants exist IRL? I dunno, but I can invent them for a story.

 

[sr71plt]

I agree that the cops would make some effort to ensure that the woman wasn't injured, but I don't think it's against the law in the States to wreck a car on your own property if you want to. Now, if they'd picked up on her driving intoxicated before she reached her property, there would be the right of continued pursuit.

 

[cuninglinguist61]

Thanks for all of the input! I'm going to make this story, which will actually be a continuation of another one already posted, into my first foray into BDSM, with the neighbor taking control as her Dom. I'm not sure if I want to have her crash her car, as I posted earlier, or have her arrested for DUI with the neighbor bailing her out. At least now I know my options, trying to keep the story as realistic as possible.
Thanks again!!

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Cops will run the plates. When they find out the car is registered to the person at the address which it is front of, they will knock. Without an answer they will have to make several assumptions.

Is the person who was driving the car inside the house? Could that person be hurt? Is there probably cause to conduct a wellness check?

The last question is the key one.

I most cases like described they do have a right to conduct a wellness check.

Finding the person inside drunk most likely will not result in her arrest. They can enter the house to check on the well being of the person inside, but can't collect evidence in furtherance of a criminal investigation.

That being said as what is supposed to be the procedure...

Actuality is a little different. She's going to jail after she sobers up.