One man from Maryville, Ill. faces several serious charges after a car accident which left a 38-year-old St. Louis woman dead. Authorities say that the man was high on a marijuana and oxycodone combination when he ran into a gas station where the woman had stopped to refill her car.

There are many types of criminal charges that can arise out of a car accident including vehicular homicide and manslaughter. Many of these charges also involve situations where a driver is allegedly drunk or impaired by drugs. Driving while intoxicated can have many severe consequences and result in penalties that include a 30-day license suspension, points on a license, and jail sentences.

DWI crashes that result in injuries or fatalities are typically the most serious and can result in first-degree involuntary homicide charges, which the Maryville man faces.

Authorities say that the man also huffed Freon before he got behind the wheel of his car on the day of the crash. Freon is a type of refrigerant or aerosol spray propellant that is highly toxic. There was a tank of Freon allegedly found in the man's car and a witness allegedly told officers that the man had a history of passing out while driving after huffing Freon. It is unclear whether the witness was in the car with the man at the time of the accident or how the witness knows the man.

Additionally, officers believe that the man was on the phone when the accident occurred. Distracted driving is another thing which may support vehicular assault or manslaughter charges.

Source: Post-Dispatch, "Police: Driver high before crash that killed St. Louis mother," Jennifer Mann, Jan. 23. 2012