A young man has been charged with DUI vehicular manslaughter after inhaling a balloon of nitrous oxide and then, within one minute, he crashed into another car and killed two brothers, as reported by The Modesto Bee.
M.D.S., 22, explained to arresting officers that he was overcome by euphoria moments after inhaling a full balloon of nitrous oxide. Then, after feeling a brief rush, he heard the sound of a horn honking and a felt the metal against metal of the crash.
The nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as "laughing gas" and used by dentists as an analgesia to help relax anxious patients, was purchased moments before, by M.D.S., at a Folsom head shop.
Judge Greta Curtis Fall has scheduled M.D.S.'s trial for July 26. He has been charged with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI resulting in death or serious injury.
Killed were brothers C.S.O.M., 37 and R.T.O., 32, and a third man, B.C., suffered with serious injuries.
M.D.S. allegedly purchased 50 canisters of the product, called "whip-it", at Folsom's Smoke Island store at 6:39 p.m. on January 7. Police records state that M.D.S. had punctured one of the cans to inhale the drug as he was just leaving the store.
By the time M.D.S. had driven his Ford Explorer to the corner of Folsom Boulevard and Natoma Street he had huffed the canister twice. According to officers, in less than a mile and a minute later he crossed from he southbound lanes into the northbound lanes. He crashed into a blue Saturn killing the two brothers and injuring a third passenger.
Folsom Police Officer B.M. testified that he interviewed M.D.S. while he was at the UC Davis Medical Center. M.D.S. told the officer that the gas had caused him to "feel calm and relaxed." M.D.S. also admitted that he "had abused it for quite some time", quit for a while, and then "recently started up again" with the habit.
M.D.S. said that he purchased the gas while on a break from his job at a retail store and was heading back to work at the time of the crash. Officer B.M. said, "He mentioned he was feeling as if in a cloud, turning on his music, relaxing… (and) he heard the turning of helicopter blades in the air. The next thing he knew he could hear the sound of a horn. He could hear the impact of a crash, but he didn't know if he was in it…he heard people yelling in his direction."
M.D.S. is facing a prison sentence of up to 15 years and eight months. He is currently in jail, in lieu of his $2 million bail, since the night of the fatal crash.
Charges of DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI aren't confined to alcohol abuse alone. Impaired driving due to prescription medications or other legally attained gases or drugs are also susceptible to DUI charges. Contact a DUI attorney to defend you in any of these circumstances.