Channel 10 News reports an update on the case of a man whose drunk driving led to a car crash in Rancho Bernardo that killed a 65-year-old man and injured five others on August 20, 2010.
The crash occurred at about 9 p.m. at the intersection of Camino del Norte and Paseo Lucido. According to police, the 57-year-old man was driving between 50-60 mph in a BMW when he struck the victim’s Toyota Corolla. The collision caused a chain reaction involving four other vehicles, and resulted in five people being injured, including an 8-year-old boy who sustained neck and back injuries.
Approximately two and a half hours after the accident, the man’s blood-alcohol level (BAC) was measured at .15 percent, well above the legal limit of .08 percent. Prosecutors in the case estimate the man’s BAC at the time of the crash would have been between .17 and .20 percent. When questioned by investigators as well as doctors at the emergency room, the man admitted he had been drinking whiskey at a bar. However, according to the man’s attorney, the man suffers from sleep apnea and believes he lost consciousness and blacked out before the fatal accident. However, the man never mentioned this condition when police asked him if he was being treated for any medical problems. The man has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated as well as with DUI causing injury. If he is convicted, he faces up to 13 years in prison.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 33,808 people lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2009. Another 2.2 million people were injured in these crashes. Of these fatalities, 10,839 were alcohol-impaired driving deaths, which is roughly 32 percent of total traffic accident-related fatalities for 2009. In California, there were 3,081 traffic accident-related deaths in 2009, and of these deaths, 950 were alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. This is about 31 percent of the total traffic crash-related deaths for the year in the state.
When someone dies as a result of a driver’s negligence, such as drinking and driving, their family is left to cope with immense grief and many financial challenges. The California wrongful death accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have dedicated their practice to helping those who have been injured or families who have lost a loved one because of another’s negligence. Our lawyers have the skills and experience necessary to help your family hold negligent parties legally responsible for your loss and related damages. Contact our law office today at 1-877-800-1700 to schedule a free consultation.
