Crime and Punishment: DUI Resulting in Death Cases

All of the cases you are about to read about have been adjudicated in court, so they can be discussed in this forum. They have all happened within the past two and one half years. I bring this to tell the dangers of driving while impaired, and about the families that are left without a loved one. The names and locations are being withheld to protect my identity.

Sports Car vs. Toyota Corolla:

Four family members in both cars, one family coming home from a night of drinking and partying, and the other going to work. Time, early morning. The driver of the sports car is intoxicated, and tired. It was later determined that he had a Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC, of .08. This is the legal limit in our state to be considered DUI. The sports car was traveling 50+MPH, and ran a red light. The Corolla was traveling the speed limit going through a green light. The sports car broadsided the Corolla, without even trying to break, causing the Corolla to go up and over the curb, and into several waiting poles. The front passenger in the Corolla was ejected from the car (HE WAS NOT WEARING HIS SEATBELT), and was killed on impact with the ground. The driver of the sports car fled on foot but was later apprehended a block away. All of the passengers in the sports car stayed at the location. All of the persons in the Corolla suffered serious injuries.

After a long court battle with "High Priced Attorneys," the driver of the sports car plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter. He had never been arrested before, but had seven prior traffic tickets, four of them for speeding. His sentence was five years state prison plus over $10,000 in restitution. The family in the Corolla, left without a brother, was even more affected since they did not have a lot of money. They counted on his earnings to survive. They are now left with his memory.

SUV vs. Toyota Tercel:

A man and his 10-year-old son... I will write about this case another time... The case is close to a resolution but not yet.

Chevy truck vs. Honda Civic:

The owner of the Chevy Truck was high on not only Heroin, but Meth, and Marijuana. He was traveling on a wide street (a large center median, two lanes in each direction, with another twenty feet on both sides for parking). A grandmother, with two grandchildren in the back seat (there was no passenger in the front seat), were waiting to enter the street after stopping at a stop sign. The owner of the Chevy Truck, veered over and broadsided the waiting car. The car was pushed into a pole causing approximately 2 1/2 feet of intrusion on the front passenger side area (remember this seat was unoccupied). The suspect then got out of the car, looked over at the other car and the passengers therein, and ran away on foot.

The grandmother died as a result of the impact with the truck. The two children in the back were injured but recovered later. Two officers responded to the suspect's residence, but found the suspect on an adjacent street as they were approaching his house. The suspect was under in influence of above stated drugs, and was taken into custody. While getting treatment for his injuries, the doctor asked for him to take off his long sleeved shirt. He refused. And refused again. The officers finally took his shirt off and revealed one of the most disgusting sights I have seen in thirteen years on the job... This will be hard to describe for you to fully grasp what I saw. The suspect's right arm, from the elbow to his wrist, was covered in open sores. Every inch of his arm, was covered in open sores. His arm was discolored red, with blood and puss oozing from most of the sores. His arm was also raised about a half of an inch due to infection. I have seen a lot of heroin users, but never has anyone come close to this (Iv'e even seen the photos of Nicole Brown Simpson, OK, that was bad too); this arm took the prize. His left arm had been healing but still had the aftermath of what I had just seen on his right arm.

The suspect later plead guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter, and got eight years state prison. He had a long rap sheet, mostly drug offenses. The grandmother was the heart and soul of her family, and a care taker for the younger children. Her family is left with her memory.

If you want to drink, do so, but use a designated driver. DO NOT DRIVE WHILE IMPAIRED. The family you will ruin will be your own, as well as someone that you probably don't even know.