State v. Clowers, 217 N.C. App. 520 (Dec. 20, 2011)

In an impaired driving case, the trial court did not err by declining to instruct on automatism or unconsciousness. The defendant asserted that even though unconsciousness through voluntary consumption of alcohol or drugs does not support an instruction as to automatism or unconsciousness, his unconsciousness could have been the result of the effects of voluntary consumption of alcohol combined with the effects of Alprazolam, a drug that he had been prescribed to control his panic attacks. The court concluded that there was no evidence that the defendant’s consumption of alcohol or his medication was involuntary.