Drunk Driving DUI Law

The driver accused of causing a fatal accident on the Seward Highway last week is being charged with murder, assault and driving under the influence.

Lori Phillips, 55, admits she was driving the SUV police say hit another car head-on, killing one and injuring another.

Phillips was arrested Saturday for violating the terms of her release from a DUI this past March.

Those terms included no driving and no drinking.

In court Tuesday, Phillips admitted that she drove even though she wasn’t supposed to.

“When I drove Thursday… my daughter has continually drove me and was not able to do so then. I had an appointment, and I shouldn’t have gone, but I did,” Phillips said.

Phillips has been arrested four times for drunk driving and is now facing a fifth DUI charge.

Municipal prosecution called Phillips a huge public safety risk and the judge agreed.

He set bail at $20,000 cash and ordered Phillips to have a third-party custodian, electronic ankle monitoring and to submit to random breath tests.

“So they can ask to her periodically blow into a machine and it will read that at central headquarters for the ankle monitoring,” said Al Patterson, the municipal prosecutor.

Phillips faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, DUI, driving with a revoked license and reckless driving.

She’ll be back in court for arraignment on these new charges Wednesday afternoon.

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