Drunk driving is a very serious offense and the charge carries extensive penalties, including fines, drivers' license restrictions and prison sentences. Not only the charge itself but the very accusation of drunk driving can forever alter your professional life, let alone your family or social life. All of this gets magnified when a drunk driving charge becomes an even more serious charge, such as felony DUI.

One South Carolina woman is dealing with this reality. The 26-year-old was accused of hitting two firefighters who were at a car crash site on a local highway in October. State troopers arrested the woman and charged her with a DUI. She told local authorities that she had three beers during a three-hour span that preceded the late night accident.

But the injuries sustained by one of the firefighters are more serious than originally thought, though details were not released. South Carolina's felony DUI law states that the charge can be applied when the accused causes "great bodily injury or death" while operating a vehicle when under the influence. "Great bodily injury" could be disfigurement, permanent impairment or an injury that presents a substantial health risk.

The change has forced the 26-year-old to relive the traumatic experience as she had to be arrested again for the new felony DUI charge. The upgraded charge comes after one of the firefighters' leg injuries was incorrectly reported. Information on the firefighter's recovery was not made available.

The modification to the charge is an unfortunate twist in the 26-year-old's story, and she will face a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Source: The Post and Courier, "Felony DUI is new charge in crash case," Andy Paras, Jan. 7, 2012