The concept of writing an introductory blog is straightforward, but it can soon lead down a rabbit hole of self-examination and reflection.

I was not always so confident that I wanted to be a Virginia criminal defense lawyer or a personal injury lawyer. My initial exposure to the law was as a defendant in a civil suit. Involved in a two-car accident on a stormy summer night in high school, I was surprised to see the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Deputy at my door many months after my case had been dismissed in traffic court. Served? Lawsuit? Twenty-One Days to File a Response? My head was swimming and once the confusion subsided, fantasies of representing myself and being a John Grisham-style natural in the courtroom took over. That thought was quickly dismissed by the deputy, who reminded me to notify my insurance company right now. I did and they took over from there.

Weeks later I was contacted by a local Fredericksburg firm and they invited me to their office to give a statement about the accident. Hired by the insurance company, I was their client too, and they treated me as such. Much to the delight of a high school student contemplating his college major the next fall, the entire process was explained to me as if it was an assignment I would be working on. Soon I was presented with discovery to answer, which felt like extra homework without the benefit of extra credit at times, and my deposition was taken. The confidence, professionalism, and ability of both my attorneys as well as the plaintiff's attorney made a lasting impression. Years later, I looked back on those events fondly and decided to investigate law as a career. To my surprise, both firms agreed to allow me to shadow their attorneys for one-week externships, in which I sat in on client meetings, did some legal research, and went to court. It was an amazing experience that instilled in me humble beginnings of the qualities necessary to practice law in this great Commonwealth.

This blog post was written by Thomas Soldan. He is admitted to practice in Virginia. With offices in Leesburg and Warrenton, he represents clients charged with Virginia DUI and Virginia reckless driving, In addition to criminal defense, he represents victims in personal injury cases. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and Lafayette College, where he was a prestigious Marquis Scholar.

A "bizarre" car accident at a Woodbridge car wash has lead to the arrest of an employee after he struck a car and two fellow employees with a customer's Jeep, removed his shirt, and fled the scene. Nineteen-year-old Miguel Aguirre-Casoverde is said to have lost control of the SUV, injuring a twenty-year-old man and forty-eight-year-old woman who were wiping down the parked car involved in the crash.

The incident occurred at the Sonic Soft Carwash on Jefferson Davis Highway. Witnesses report that the Jeep Commander veered out of the wash bay continuing "in a horseshoe pattern" before pinning a woman near another SUV against the other vehicle. Reports indicate one of the victims was sent "flying into the air" from the force of the impact. All involved are expected to make a full recovery.

Although Aguirre-Casoverde fled the scene, he returned after an hour. He was arrested and charged with reckless driving and hit-and-run, and it was not disclosed whether he has yet retained or been assigned a Virginia reckless driving lawyer to face those charges.

Prince William County Police spokesman Jonathan Perok said that during Aguirre-Casoverde's processing at the jail, it was discovered that he is not a legal resident of the US:

"Through our investigative procedures at the jail, standard procedures at the jail when anyone is arrested, it was determined that the driver is here illegally, and ICE has been notified."

Although it was also revealed that Aguirre-Casoverde does not possess a drivers license, that is not a legal requirement to operate a vehicle on private property in Prince William County.

This article is presented by The Law Office of Price Benowitz, LLP, serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For more information, please visit our Washington DC DUI and Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney websites.