With the Memorial Day weekend looming, law enforcement agencies in Southern Illinois are gearing up to increase patrols. Their main goal is to promote public safety because drunk driving accidents can lead to fatalities and life-changing injuries.
A crash involving a Jefferson County man exemplifies this danger, as a one-car accident yesterday left him badly injured.
According to a Southern Illinoisian.com report, the man was driving eastbound on Illinois 154 in Franklin County when he failed to stop at a “T” intersection with Illinois 37. Witnesses report that the car never stopped at the stop sign and went airborne after hitting the curb and then came to rest in a ditch.
The man was ejected from the vehicle, which suggests that he was not wearing a seatbelt. He was airlifted to a local hospital and diagnosed with major injuries. To add insult to injury, authorities noted that he would be cited for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), driving on a revoked license and illegal transportation of alcohol.
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer in our region, and alcohol related crashes are an unfortunate reality as some drivers take chances by getting behind the wheel, believing that being “buzzed” is not the same as being drunk.
Regardless of the level of intoxication, a driver with alcohol in his (or her) system at the time of an accident could be held liable for the crash. Drunk driving is widely considered a breach of the duty to use reasonable care in driving a car.
If you have questions about compensation after a drunk driving accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can help.
Source: TheSouthern.com, Crash leads to injuries, charges, May 2, 2013