Auburn Counselor Writes Book on DUI
I’m Ed Smith, an Auburn Auto Accident Attorney. A local counselor took the time to write and publish a book on DUI and its effects on the driver and those around them.
About the Author
The author, Mark Lashley, works as a drug and alcohol counselor and has additional training in anger management, mental health, and domestic violence cases. Originally, he taught classes on driving under the influence and led counseling groups in San Francisco but has since moved to Auburn to work with the city and Placer County on their specific DUI programs.
Personal Experiences
Lashley was not always a counselor working with those who need help with addictions and/or violent behaviors. Since the 1960s, Lashley has worked as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and percussionist. He helped start a Moby Grape tribute band called The Grape Nut Flakes until Post Cereal threatened a lawsuit, prompting them to change their name to Grape Escape. Living the “rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle exposed Lashley to the world of drug and alcohol addiction. Pulling from these experiences has helped Lashley relate to his patients and make him an effective counselor.
Son Killed in Devastating Crash
One day in 1992, Lashley was recording in a studio with members of the actual Moby Grape band when he received news that his 23-year-old son, David, was in a car accident while riding his motorcycle. He rushed to the hospital to see his son and found out that David had been drinking before the accident and was thrown from his bike after hitting a car and struck headfirst into a telephone pole.
The car accident took David’s life and caused Lashley to spiral into grief and depression which resulted in him ending his near 30-year musical career. His life started to fall apart after that experience. In 1995, Lashley took all of that pain and depression and decided to go to school to become a counselor focusing specifically on DUI offenders and victims.
About The Book
Lashley’s mother, author Norma Lehr, encouraged him to take his knowledge and experiences and write a book about them. This is how the book, “DUI & You & Me” came to be. The book goes into detail about all the consequences of driving under the influence and other road crimes such as hit and run, manslaughter, and murder, which often occur in drunk driving accidents. Mark describes the sadness and grief he felt from the death of his son and the effect it had on his life. The book demonstrates techniques for fighting addiction and denial. It also is a good resource for loved ones and family members of addicts or offenders. It explains how addicts’ minds work and ways to work with and help them.
Recent DUI Events
Driving under the influence is extremely dangerous and puts everyone around the driver at risk for serious harm or even death. Here are some articles from my website about accidents and deaths in this area from the past few months that all had drugs and/or alcohol involved in some way.
DUI Wreck Injures 3 in South Lake Tahoe
A 21-year-old woman wrecked a Mercedes Benz when she ran off the road and into a tree. She told officers that she had swerved to avoid an animal in the roadway and subsequently lost control of the vehicle and hit the tree. Two adult males were also in the car and both received minor injuries. The driver was arrested after she was released from the hospital with two broken legs.
DUI Collision Kills Man in Anderson
A man was driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck at the same time another man was driving a Buick the opposite way. One of the vehicles crossed the yellow lines and collided head-on with the other. The Buick went up in flames and the driver was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. The man in the Dodge truck was arrested on charges of DUI which was believed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to have been a factor in the accident. The passengers in the Dodge also had moderate to major injuries, most likely fractured bones in the arms or legs as well as injuries to the head or neck.
Bicycle Accident Injures 2 Pedestrians in South Lake Tahoe
An intoxicated man hit two pedestrians who were in the crosswalk with a motorized bicycle. The pedestrians had waited for the “safe to walk” symbol to light up and just started across the crosswalk, making it only a few steps before the intoxicated man ran into both of them. He tried to flee the scene before the police arrived but was detained and then arrested on charges of DUI and “hit and run.”
Auburn Auto Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, an Auburn Auto Accident Attorney. If you have lost a loved one or been injured in an accident involving a drunk driver, please call me at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. I can also be reached online here.
I have helped hundreds of people and their families recover after accidents. Look here to see summaries of some of my past verdicts and settlements.
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I have been serving the Auburn and Greater California community for over 35 years. I also founded AutoAccident.com, a very informative website for people needing information on car accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, and many other possible legal cases.
You can also find me on MillionDollarAdvocates.com, a site that lists trial lawyers who have won million, or multi-million case verdicts or settlements.