The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
An EMT facing charges for suspicion of driving under the influence in August has pleaded not guilty to the allegations and shared her story of how a medical emergency led to criminal charges.
Kerstii Groce is an emergency medical technician employed by American Medical Response in Mississippi.
In the afternoon on August 22, Groce was driving an ambulance to transport a non-emergency patient. A second EMT was also in the vehicle.
As Groce navigated the ambulance down Interstate 10, the car behind her spotted the vehicle and believed it was being driven unsafely.
The driver of the car began recording what he saw as the ambulance continued down the freeway, and the video showed the emergency vehicle veering back and forth in the right-hand lane, and occasionally dipping onto the shoulder of the road.
After becoming concerned, the man in the car decided to hail down the ambulance, and the Moss Point Police Department was notified about the event.
Groce was taken into custody for the allegations, and she was booked into the Jackson County Adult Detention Center for suspicion of DUI. According to her defense attorney, no attempt was made by law enforcement to discover Groce’s blood-alcohol content at the time of her arrest, as she was never given a breathalyzer test and her blood was not drawn.
Groce spent the night in jail and was freed on bail on Sunday, but due to her DUI charge, American Medical Response chose to suspend Groce from her position and placed her on unpaid leave.
After Groce was charged, she said it appeared as if her loved ones, employers, and the community responded in a manner leading her to believe they already convicted her in their minds.
Groce plans to fight against the charge, and recently gave a public report explaining that she has an ongoing medical condition that caused her to have a seizure.
The woman said she has only experienced a seizure-like episode once in the past, and her neurologist reported that “within a degree of medical certainty,” the incident was caused by a seizure.
Her lawyer has asked the police chief to discuss the absence of any sobriety testing when accusing Groce of being intoxicated while driving, but they have not yet connected to discuss the situation.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a DUI offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.