With Memorial Day upon us, it's a good reminder to stay sober if you plan on driving back from that barbecue or night out. This is true even if you plan on driving for only a short period of time.

In a strange case out of North Carolina, two young women were driving in a car when the sober driver asked her drunk passenger to take control of the steering wheel, reports the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. The driver reportedly needed to text message someone and so she asked her drunk friend to momentarily take control of the wheel.

As you may have guessed, the idea did not work so well and the drunk woman steering the vehicle crashed.

When police got to the scene, they charged the drunk passenger with a DUI. Her friend, the sober driver, was charged with aiding and abetting a DUI.

Too many DUIs happen because of momentarily lapses in judgment. The two women in North Carolina apparently started off with the right idea when they decided that the sober woman should drive. However, during the drive, the driver made the wrong decision by texting and then having the drunk friend steer. In cases like this, the text message can wait. And if it truly can't, the driver can simply pull over and send her message.

Instead, to save a few seconds of time or the hassle of pulling over, both the driver and her drunk passenger face criminal charges. They should consider themselves fortunate not to have been seriously injured in the accident.

If you have been charged with a DUI in the Seattle or King County area, you should know that you face very serious charges even if you have a clean record and simply made a dumb mistake. As a result, you will need an experienced attorney on your side who can defend your rights and possibly argue for a favorable deal.

To discuss your case with someone who will fight for you, contact Wolff Criminal Defense at 425-294-2000.