During July 4th week, remember deadly consequences of DUI
The Fourth of July is a holiday that people in Pennsylvania often celebrate by hoisting an adult beverage or two. In that alone, there is absolutely nothing wrong. However, it does become a problem when someone who has had too much to drink or is under the influence of another substance gets behind the wheel of a car and starts to drive. In the Keystone State and across the country, car accidents caused by drunk and impaired drivers are often deadly.
A tragic example of the damage an impaired driver can cause occurred last year in Pottsville, on Route 61. A man was driving under the influence and speeding, traveling nearly 60 miles per hour in a 35-mile per hour zone, after dark and without his headlights on. As the impaired driver approached the intersection with Union Street, a northbound motorist entered the intersection and began to execute a left turn onto Union Street.
The impaired driver’s vehicle slammed into the turning vehicle, killing the elderly man who was driving it. The impact of the crash drove the victim’s vehicle into the car that was behind it in traffic. The driver of the third car said she never saw the dark car driven by the drunk driver and didn’t realize there was a southbound vehicle until the crash occurred.
Another witness said that he saw a dark car speeding down Route 61 without its headlights on just before the accident happened. The witness then saw that it was the same car involved in the crash. The impaired driver faces criminal charges and the victims of the accident and their families are left with the aftereffects. When the law is the only recourse an accident victim has, an experienced personal injury attorney can offer advice and suggest a course of action.