There are tough laws against driving under the influence of alcohol in North Carolina. Even so, drunk driving accidents devastate a number of families in the state each year.

Late last month, a North Carolina man was sentenced to 15 years in jail after pleading guilty to hitting a man on a motorcycle while he was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in August. The motorcyclist died at the scene.

A spokesman for the Circuit Solicitor's Office said that the 22-year-old Forest City man pled guilty to driving under the influence resulting in death, and will be required to serve at least 12 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole.

The accident occurred on Aug. 11 and claimed the life of a 51-year-old man. According to officials, the accident took place in the right lane of Highway 221 near Chesnee. The motorcyclist was reportedly preparing to turn into a parking lot and had his turn signal on when the drunk driver smashed into him from behind with his pickup truck, dragging him more than 300 feet.

Troopers who arrived at the scene of the accident said that they smelled alcohol on the convicted driver's breath. He admitted to being at a party where he had consumed three shots of vodka, a couple beers and a hit of marijuana, the troopers said.

A blood test performed on the driver showed that he had a blood-alcohol reading of .52, more than six times the legal limit to drive in North Carolina. He also had marijuana and marijuana metabolic in his system, the blood test revealed.

The toxicology report on the motorcyclist did not show any traces of drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.

In addition to criminal charges, it is possible that the driver could face a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of the man who was killed.

Source: 7 On Your Side, "North Carolina Man Sentenced To 15 Years For Fatal DUI Accident," Jan. 30, 2012