Anyone who has been arrested for driving under the influence knows how expensive a DUI can be. A drunk driving conviction may result in thousands of dollars in fines, fees, and increases to car insurance. On top of that, the driver may have to pay for DUI school, an alcohol abuse assessment, and an ignition interlock device. A driver in Texas faces a much more expensive DUI after crashing his Ferrari.

James Sidney Allen, 28-years-old, was reportedly driving his $385,000 car through the affluent community of West Lake Hills, Texas, near the state's capital. According to a witness, the car was traveling at over 100 miles per hour on Red Bud Trail, when the driver lost control and crashed the car at 2:30 a.m.

According to the Austin Fire Department, “the vehicle failed to make the first turn (no surprise there) and continued straight into the woods. It then went airborne for 40 feet, flipped over in the air, and landed facing the wrong way it went int, but on its side, down a 40-foot ravine.”

The three occupants of the vehicle survived, suffering only minor injuries. The driver was later arrested and charged with driving under the influence.

In September, a DUI accident involving another expensive car ended much more tragically. In Delray Beach, Florida, multimillionaire Roger Wittenberns was speeding along the highway with his longtime girlfriend. Wittenberns was the founder of the Lady of America fitness club chain. Wittenberns was driving his Lamborghini when he crashed into a Buick SUV, killing an 82-year-old retired real estate agent.

Even if the driver is not involved in an accident, a drunk driving conviction could result in the loss of an expensive vehicle. A driver by the name of James Ferrari was driving his Ferrari at over 100 miles per hour when he was pulled over by police in Suffolk County, New York. Ferrari was arrested on charges of speeding, driving while intoxicated, and possession of crack cocaine. His 2003 Ferrari 360 Spider was impounded.

Ferrari pleaded guilty, had his license suspended, and surrendered the title to his car. The county eventually auctioned off the vehicle, and Ferrari sued. Ferrari argued the county should have let him post bond instead of seizing his vehicle. A jury agreed, and awarded Ferrari $95,000. However, a federal appeals court reversed the decision, finding the county was allowed to impound vehicles for public safety reasons in appropriate cases.

“We cannot hold, as Ferrari effectively asks us to, that any marginal benefit afforded drivers like him by the added layer of process he seeks is so paramount that the Constitution of the United States requires Suffolk County to adopt a process of retention hearings that could put its residents at risk,” wrote Circuit Judge Debra Ann Livingston.

At the Gorelick Law Offices, attorney Lynn Gorelick has dedicated her legal career to defending drivers facing a DUI after a drunk driving accident in the East Bay. With over 30 years of DUI defense experience, Lynn Gorelick understands what it means to fight for you. Contact the local East Bay DUI defense attorney who will stand up for your rights, so you can keep a clean record and stay out of jail.