Not only is driving under the influence against the law, it is dangerous. Drunk driving accidents are some of the most preventable — and more often than not, predictable — crashes. Each year, a significant number of people here in Missouri die because someone else decided to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and without any regard for the lives of others on the road. In some cases, a fatal accident may not have been the first time that the driver drove drunk.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol believes that impairment was a factor in a crash that occurred in August. The vehicle he was driving crossed over into the oncoming lane of travel and slammed into a vehicle occupied by a 17-year-old. The teen suffered serious injuries. His current condition is unknown.
Recently, prosecutors filed charges against the Kansas man for assault in the second-degree in connection with the accident. It is not known whether officer’s suspicions that he was intoxicated were verified through a breath test or blood draw. However, the 30-year-old driver suspected of being intoxicated pleaded guilty in April to DWI in another criminal proceeding.
If the man is convicted of a crime in connection with this accident, proof it may be offered as evidence in a related civil action to help establish negligence on the part of the driver. Proving that the victim’s injuries were caused by the negligence of the another is the first requirement in a civil case seeking a judgment for monetary damages due to personal injury. Successfully establishing negligence could lead to an award of damages typically seen in drunk driving accidents.
Source: stjoechannel.com, “Driver Charged with Assault in Crash that Injured Teen”, Oct. 8, 2015
