Truck Driver Challenges Conviction in High-Stakes Legal Battle Over Fatal DUI Crash Evidence in Maine

Randall Weddle, a former truck driver from Tennessee, is appealing his 25-year prison sentence for a fatal drunk driving accident in Maine in 2016.

Driving a tractor-trailer loaded with lumber on Highway 17 in Knox County, Weddle drove into oncoming traffic, killing 45-year-old Christina Torres-York and 74-year-old Paul Fowles. The investigation revealed that he was under the influence of alcohol and painkillers at the time of the accident.

A key aspect of Weddle's appeal is the admissibility of the blood test results, which his lawyers claim were obtained without a warrant or consent. This evidence was crucial in the trial, as it showed that Weddle's blood alcohol level was 0.090 and tested positive for hydrocodone. His lawyers are challenging the constitutionality of the blood test, citing two U.S. Supreme Court cases that found mandatory blood testing unconstitutional in certain scenarios.

The case is currently pending before the Maine Supreme Court. The outcome of this appeal may have significant implications for how evidence is collected and used in similar fatal accident cases

source:

https://wgme.com/news/local/former-truck-driver-appeals-conviction-for-fatal-drunk-driving-crash-in-maine-tractor-trailer-knox-county-randall-weddle-washington-paul-fowles-christina-torres-york