In a neighboring Florida community just south of Tampa, a recent drunk driving accident resulted in the death of one child and injuries to four others. Less than a month after completion of probation for driving drunk, a 37-year old drunk driver ran a stop sign and struck a vehicle full of children. A 3-year old child was killed in the drunk driving accident and four other children, including a newborn baby, were injured in the same accident. Two of the children, including the child who died, were ejected from the vehicle. Two of the surviving children were critically injured.
The drunk driver was facing multiple charges, including DUI manslaughter, following the accident and was being held in jail without bail. A breathalyzer test revealed that the driver had a blood alcohol content level of between 0.125 and 0.128; 0.08 is the legal limit in Florida. The driver has a history of problems related to driving and already settled a negligence claim with a woman who asserted she was seriously injured in a car accident. The driver’s children were in the car with him during the most recent accident but were unharmed.
Authorities reported that the drunk driver crossed the westbound lanes of a divided highway with four lanes, crossed the median and struck the other vehicle. In addition to the child killed in the accident and the children injured, two women were also in the vehicle that was struck; all surviving victims were taken to a local hospital following the accident.
Victims of drunk driving accidents can face unthinkable harm and damages that may extend for a lifetime, but they are protected in several ways by the legal process. For instance, the personal injury legal process provides different options for different situations and provides remedies to victims for the collection of compensation for the physical, financial and emotional harm they have suffered. It is crucial for victims to be familiar with the legal protections available to them when their family has been impacted by a drunk driving accident.
Source: Tampa Bay Times, “FHP: Boy, 3, killed, four children injured in Ruskin drunken driving crash,” Anastasia Dawson, Feb. 2, 2017
