Drunk Driving Accidents Archives

Teen killed in Phoenix pedestrian accident; drunk driving blamed for Phoenix car accident over Fourth of July weekend

A Phoenix pedestrian accident claimed the life of a young teenager Friday night, ABC15 reported.

The teen was killed while crossing Phoenix Street near 72nd Avenue and Indian School Road about 10:45 p.m. An officer was driving by the scene just before the accident happened and made a U-turn in response to the crash.

A witness reported that the officer had shined a spotlight on two people jaywalking just before the accident, possibly blinding the driver who struck them. A police spokesperson said the officer did not shine a light on the two victims until after the crash occurred. Police say the driver did not claim to be blinded and statements by both the driver and the surviving victim confirm the police version of events.

Police say the driver of the vehicle stopped and was cooperative with officers. Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected to be a factor in the crash. No information about the second victim’s condition was made available.

Drivers in Arizona are required by law to use due care to not hit pedestrians in the roadway.

Click here to read the story as reported by AZ Family.

Drunk driving may have been responsible for a fatal Phoenix truck accident that killed a 28-year-old man over the Fourth of July weekend, the Arizona Republic reported.

The driver of the truck was killed when his Nissan Titan pickup slammed head-on into a tree, according to police. The man and a 14-year-old passenger were speeding westbound on Southern Avenue near 34th Place when the driver lost control shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday. The teenager was transported to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition on Sunday.

Phoenix injury lawyers wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend

by Dave Abels

The Phoenix injury lawyers at Abels & Annes wish you a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend and encourage you to celebrate responsibly, avoid drinking and driving, and leave the fireworks to the professionals.

Drink Responsibly and Don’t Drink and Drive

Phoenix car accidents caused by drunk driving are also a concern over the Fourth of July holiday.

Nationwide, someone dies every 45 minutes in a car accident involving a drunk driver. In Arizona, alcohol was involved in 329 of the 937 traffic fatalities reported in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safe Boating

Arizona boating accidents are a frequent cause of summer injuries. As we reported on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, Arizona ranks 7th in the nation for the number of serious and fatal boating accidents. Only Michigan, which is home to three of the Great Lakes, and the coastal states of Florida, California, Texas, New York and Maryland record more serious and fatal boating accidents. The Coast Guard reported 158 serious or fatal boating accidents in Arizona in 2008.

Firework Injuries

More than two-thirds of fireworks injuries occur around the Fourth of July holiday. Each year, approximately 10,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries caused by fireworks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Children are at high risk, with nearly half of all fireworks injuries involving victims under the age of 20 — one-third involve children under the age of 15.The most common injuries reported involve the hands, eyes, and the head, face and ears. Burns, contusions, lacerations and foreign objects in the eyes are the most frequently reported reasons for emergency room visits.Fireworks injuries can lead to blindness, third-degree burns and permanent scaring. Common causes of injuries are improper use of professional-grade fireworks, being too close to fireworks, operator error, child curiosity and the use of homemade devices.
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City employee accused of causing San Luis, Arizona bicycle accident while driving drunk

by Dave Abels

Authorities are reviewing city procedures after a 10-year-old boy was injured in a San Luis, Arizona bicycle accident by an employee who was allegedly driving drunk in a city vehicle, the Yuma Sun reported.

The boy was riding his bike near a Walmart store on May 27 when he was struck by the city vehicle, according to the San Luis police chief. The defendant is charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. He has since resigned from his job with the city. The victim, a student at Harvest Preparatory Academy, suffered a broken pelvis, femur and shoulder in the accident.

“The employee was on duty and broke the rule,” city spokeswoman Karin Meza said. “The idea is see what improvements can be made to the procedures to avoid risks” of similar incidents occurring in the future. “We don’t know if supervision was lacking or if the rules need to be strengthened.”

Channel 13 reported that the accident happened shortly after 7 p.m. as the city worker was traveling west on Los Olivos Avenue. He struck the boy at the corner of Bernal Drive. Witnesses say he initially got out of his vehicle and attempted to help the boy. But, after seeing the witnesses, he climbed back in his city-issued Ford Ranger and left the area.

A police report indicated two beer containers were found in the city vehicle and a pair of breathalyzer tests showed the employee’s blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit.

As we reported on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, safety advocates are pushing to reduce the number of serious and fatal Arizona bicycle accidents. Nineteen cyclists were killed in Arizona accidents in 2008 and 1,682 were injured according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Drunk driving accidents continue to be a leading cause of traffic fatalities nationwide, accounting for about one-third of all deadly crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nationwide, 11,773 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2008 — or one person every 45 minutes.

In Arizona, 343 of the state’s 937 fatal crashes involved alcohol.

Arizona auto accident leads to criminal charges against mother

by Dave Abels

A 29-year-old mother is facing serious criminal charges in connection with an Arizona car crash that occurred between Phoenix and Flagstaff earlier this year. She remains in jail on a $15,000 bond after her arrest on Thursday.

ABC15 reported on Thursday that the woman is accused of driving under the influence of drugs and causing the Skull Valley car accident.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said she was driving a 1997 Ford Mustang with two children in the car, ages 5 and 6, when she collided with a Chevy truck driven by a 71-year-old Yarnell man.

The woman was flown to a Phoenix hospital with injuries to her legs and upper body; the daughter was airlifted to a Phoenix hospital with head injuries. Her son was treated at Yavapai Regional Medical Center. The pickup truck’s driver, who had recently undergone open heart surgery, was flown to a hospital with severe chest pains.

Authorities report a traffic investigation clearly determined the woman was at fault in the accident, having driven left of center before colliding with the truck; her blood tested positive for a substantial amount of methamphetamine/amphetamines through lab testing conducted by the Department of Public Safety.

She now faces charges of aggravated DUI, child abuse, aggravated assault and felony criminal damage. Her 5-year-old daughter, who was home at the time of her arrest, was taken into custody by Child Protective Services.

Nationwide, about one-third of all traffic fatalities result from a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs; 11,773 motorists were killed in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Arizona, 343 of 937 traffic fatalities were blamed on impaired drivers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently reported that the number of women arrested for driving while impaired has increased by 30 percent in the last decade, even as the number of men arrested has declined slightly.

You can learn more about the increase in DUI among women by reading the CNN report.

Prom safety critical to avoiding Phoenix car accidents involving teenagers

by Dave Abels

The Arizona School Boards Association and Phoenix area principals are pushing teenagers and parents to talk about prom safety, ABC 15 reported.

The Arizona car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge parents to help make sure teens have a safe and memorable prom season by having an open discussion about the dangers of drinking and driving and unsafe driving habits.In Parker, Arizona, a mock crash scene was set up to illustrate the dangers of drunk driving to high school students, according to the Parker Pioneer.

A total of 1,194 people were killed in Arizona car accidents involving teen drivers in the five-year period ending in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition to Arizona, states that reported more than 1,000 teen driving deaths were Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Texas.

MADD is also promoting “The Power of Parents: It’s Your Influence” to promote safe teenage driving.

Parents can help teenagers make the right choices by:

– Establish clear rules, monitor your child’s behavior, and talk to your child about the consequences of underage drinking.

– Understand that the choice to be drug and alcohol free takes courage, and is often not easy.

– If using a limo, instruct the driver to notify parents if alcohol is present.

– Permit only registered passengers to ride in a limo.

– Do not serve alcohol to an underage person.
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Drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving among the leading causes of Arizona car accidents

by Dave Abels

Drunk driving, speeding, failure to yield and distracted driving are among the leading causes of Arizona car accidents, according to statistics from the Arizona Department of Transportation.

A motorist is injured every 10 minutes and someone dies every 9 hours in an Arizona traffic accident.

-One-third of Arizona car accidents are caused by drunk drivers.

-8 out of every 10 Arizona drunk driving accidents occur in an urban area.

-7 of 10 Arizona car accidents occurred during daylight hours, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

-33 children under the age of 14 were killed and 4,510 were seriously injured in Arizona car accidents.

Overall, the number of serious and fatal Arizona traffic accidents has declined in the past 5 years.

2004: 138,899 crashes, 1,159 fatalities, 73,693 injuries.
2008: 119,588 crashes, 937 fatalities, 56,009 injuries.

However, as we reported recently on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, authorities believe some of the decrease is the result of the downturn in the economy and record high gas prices in recent years. The state will release accident statistics for last year in the coming weeks.

Arizona Car Accidents

-Nearly half of all multiple-vehicle Arizona car accidents — 43,738 of 95,427– involved a rear-end collision. A T-bone collision was the next most likely cause, accounting for 17,848 accidents.

Leading causes of Arizona car accidents
Speeding: 41,567 crashes killed 304 motorists and injured 13,653.
Failure to Yield: 21,370 crashes, killed 87 motorists and injured 8,097.
Distracted Driving: 14,252 crashes killed 55 motorists and injured 3,724.
Unsafe Lane Changes: 6,601 accidents killed 7 motorists and injured 963.
Following too Closely: 4,568 accidents killed one motorist and injured 1,245.
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Chandler, Arizona DUI car accident results in death of teenager

by Dave Abels

A teen has past away from injuries received in a Arizona car crash, according to AZCentral.com. The driver of the other car involved in the accident was allegedly intoxicated, almost three times the legal limit of .08.

The collision took place last Thursday on Ray Road in Chandler, Arizona. The victim, a high school senior, was flown to an area hospital due to the severity of his injuries, AZFamily.com has reported. The teen was on life support until he passed away on Saturday evening.

At the time of the accident, the defendant was westbound on Ray Road in a Chevy pickup truck around 10:15 p.m. He was traveling around 80 mph in a 45 zone when he struck the victim’s van on the passenger side as the van was turning left. Lab work taken later at the hospital showed the DUI driver had a blood alcohol level of .227.

The driver has reportedly been charged with manslaughter and his bond has been set at $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in court next on May 17.

In the year 2008 alone, there were 6,757 alcohol related auto accidents in the State Arizona. 324 people were killed and 4,733 were injured in those crashes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Over 78 percent of the alcohol related accidents took place in urban areas.

ASU student killed, another badly injured in Phoenix area car crash

by Dave Abels

An ASU student who sustained severe injuries in a Tempe, Arizona car crash last Saturday has died. Here 19 year old passenger is in critical but stable condition, according to ABC News 15.

The accident happened when the 20 year old student lost control of her vehicle and hit a construction barricade on McClintock Drive in the area of Loop 202 around 3 a.m. She was not using her seat belt and was thrown from the car in the accident. She was rushed to an area hospital, but later died on Monday.

Her passenger, also an Arizona State University student, was wearing a seat at the time of the Tempe auto accident. Tempe police say alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, according to AZCentral.com.

Celebre el Cinco de Mayo responsablemente; Ayude a prevenir accidents de carro en Arizona causados por conductores borrachos.

by Dave Abels

Abogados de accidente de carro en Arizona de Abels & Annes les recomienda a todos que disfruten el Cinco de Mayo en una manera responsable y hacer su parte para permanecer seguro y evitar accidentes de conductors borrachos.

Como informamos esta semana en nuestro blog de Abogado de Herida en Phoenix, 324 personas fueron matadas y más de 4,700 fueron heridos en accidents de conductors borrachos en Arizona en 2008.

Cinco de Mayo, Español para el “quinto de Mayo”, ha crecido en popularidad en los Estados Unidos en los últimos años y ha llegado a ser una celebración de herencia mexicana en la misma manera que el día de San Patricio celebra la cultura Irlandesa. La fiesta del 5 de Mayo 1862,celebra la victoria del ejército Mexicano sobre soldados Franceses en la Batalla de Puebla.

Las autoridades a través de Arizona y a través de la nación han anunciado aumentos de patrullas, a partir del miércoles y durara hasta el fin de semana, en un esfuerzo por reducir el número de accidentes graves y fatales causados por conductores borrachos.

El NHTSA le ofrece a la comunidad hispana literatura de prevención en conducir borrachos.

Programación de la prevención borracha está disponible en ingles.

Si usted o un ser querido está en un accidente de carro en Arizona, los abogados de herida en Phoenix de Abels & Annes ofrecen citas gratis y confidenciales para hablar de sus derechos. Llame a (602) 819-5191

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo responsibly; help prevent Arizona car accidents caused by drunk driving

by Dave Abels

The Arizona car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge everyone to enjoy Cinco de Mayo in a responsible manner and to do your part to stay safe and avoid drunk driving accidents.

As we reported this week on our Phoenix Injury Lawyer blog, 324 people were killed and more than 4,700 were injured in Arizona drunk driving accidents in 2008.

Cinco de Mayo, Spanish for the “fifth of May,” has grown in popularity in the United States in recent years and has become a celebration of Mexican heritage in much the same way that St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Irish culture. The holiday celebrates the May 5, 1862 victory of the Mexican army over French soldiers at the Battle of Puebla.

Authorities across Arizona and throughout the nation have announced increased patrols, beginning Wednesday and lasting through the weekend, in an effort to reduce the number of serious and fatal traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers.

The NHTSA provides the Hispanic Community with drunk driving prevention literature, available by clicking here.

English drunk-prevention programing is available by clicking here.
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