Joseph Genovese Jr., a 20 year-old South Philadelphia man, plead guilty to aggravated assault by vehicle and homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence (being DUI). His sentencing is in April and he is facing a 13 to 27 year prison sentence.
In July of 2008, Mr. Genovese ran a red light while apparently DWI outside of Citizens Bank Park. In the process, he ran over two St. Louis Cardinal fans who also happened to be school teachers who were attending the game. The teachers traveled to different ballparks each summer to watch their beloved Cardinals play. The accident killed Cindy Grassi and severely injured Sandra Wacker.
On his MySpace page, Mr. Genovese had often boasted of alcohol and driving exploits. He even posted about driving in excess of 100 mph on a strip near the ballpark. If these were a Washington DUI case, this information would probably be strongly considered by Mr. Genovese’s sentencing judge, and it certainly would not hurt him.
Washington DUI law involving situations where a drunk driver kills or seriously injures someone is similar to Pennsylvania law. If you are DWI in WA State and seriously injure someone, you are will face multiple felony charge and will be going to jail for many years. Don’t drink and drive in Washington state.