Homicide or serious injury by vehicle
86 Acts, ch 1220, §41; 89 Acts, ch 211, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1251, §55; 94 Acts, ch 1069, §2; 97 Acts, ch 177, §26 – 28; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9; 2010 Acts, ch 1097, §12; 2010 Acts, ch 1124, §3, 9; 2011 Acts, ch 34, §145
- 1. A person commits a class “B” felony when the person unintentionally causes the death of another by operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, as prohibited by section 321J.2.
- 1A. Upon a plea or verdict of guilty of a violation of subsection 1, the defendant shall surrender to the court any Iowa license or permit and the court shall forward the license or permit to the department with a copy of the order of conviction. Upon receipt of the order of conviction, the department shall revoke the defendant’s driver’s license or nonresident operating privilege for a period of six years. The defendant shall not be eligible for a temporary restricted license for at least two years after the revocation.
1B. Upon a plea or verdict of guilty of a violation of subsection 1, the court shall order the defendant, at the defendant’s expense, to do the following:
- a. Enroll, attend, and satisfactorily complete a course for drinking drivers, as provided in section 321J.22.
- b. Submit to evaluation and treatment or rehabilitation services.
- 1C. A driver’s license or nonresident operating privilege shall not be reinstated until proof of completion of the requirements of subsection 1B is presented to the department.
- 1D. Where the program is available and appropriate for the defendant, the court shall also order the defendant to participate in a reality education substance abuse prevention program as provided in section 321J.24.
2. A person commits a class “C” felony when the person unintentionally causes the death of another by any of the following means:
- a. Driving a motor vehicle in a reckless manner with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, in violation of section 321.277.
- b. Eluding or attempting to elude a pursuing law enforcement vehicle, in violation of section 321.279, if the death of the other person directly or indirectly results from the violation.
- 3. A person commits a class “D” felony when the person unintentionally causes the death of another while drag racing, in violation of section 321.278.
- 4. A person commits a class “D” felony when the person unintentionally causes a serious injury, as defined in section 702.18, by any of the means described in subsection 1 or 2.
- 5. As used in this section, “motor vehicle” includes any vehicle defined as a motor vehicle in section 321.1.
- 6. Except for the purpose of sentencing under section 321J.2, subsections 3, 4, and 5, a conviction or deferral of judgment for a violation of this section, where a violation of section 321J.2 is admitted or proved, shall be treated as a conviction or deferral of judgment for a violation of section 321J.2 for the purposes of chapters 321, 321A, and 321J, and section 907.3, subsection 1.
- 7. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 901.5 and 907.3, the court shall not defer judgment or sentencing, or suspend execution of any part of the sentence applicable to the defendant for a violation of subsection 1, or for a violation of subsection 4 involving the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
See also penalties applicable under §707.5, 707.8, and 708.2
86 Acts, ch 1220, §41; 89 Acts, ch 211, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1251, §55; 94 Acts, ch 1069, §2; 97 Acts, ch 177, §26 – 28; 98 Acts, ch 1073, §9; 2010 Acts, ch 1097, §12; 2010 Acts, ch 1124, §3, 9; 2011 Acts, ch 34, §145
Referred to in §321.210D, §321.555, §321J.10, §331.802, §707.8, §811.1, §902.12, §907.3, §910.3A, §915.80