Highway 12 Crash Injures Two Drivers
Hi, I’m Ed Smith, a Napa auto accident lawyer. On Wednesday, December 28, 2016, just outside of the city of Napa on Highway 12, two people suffered major injuries in a two-vehicle collision.
What Happened?
The California Highway Patrol told reporters a motor vehicle accident occurred at around 8:55 p.m. when Ryan Ellis, a 22-year-old resident of nearby city Santa Rosa was headed east on the highway in a 2010 Dodge Charger. Ellis reportedly made an attempt to pass the car he was driving behind by crossing the median of the freeway and speeding in the westbound lane. At this time, a 59-year-old resident of Kenwood was headed west in a 2001 Ford F-250 at a point on the highway where the road dips for eastbound vehicles in such a way that westbound vehicles are briefly hidden from site, CHP reported. The man driving the Ford F-250 apparently tried to avoid the collision by pulling his truck to the shoulder of the westbound lane but was unable to avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger and the vehicles collided head-on.
Injuries Sustained in Napa Car Crash
Ellis received major injuries as a result of the collision and was rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. No updates on Ellis’ condition have been released from the hospital as of yet. The elderly driver of the Ford F-250 was also majorly injured and hospitalized. No details have been released about his condition, either, except that his injuries are not life-threatening.
Suspected DUI
The California Highway Patrol indicated that as Ellis was being removed from the vehicle, emergency responders could smell alcohol on his person and he seemed to be intoxicated. The CHP did obtain a warrant in order to draw Ellis’ blood for an alcohol test but were unable to test him for intoxication on-site because the severity of his injuries required urgent hospitalization, leaving no time for the blood examination.
Driving Under the Influence
Cases such as this, involving drivers who are under the influence of either alcohol or drugs, are responsible for almost one-third of all auto-accident deaths in the United States. Additionally, drivers who are arrested for driving under the influence are likely to have been caught driving under the influence in the past. If a driver is found to have been driving with alcohol or some other intoxicant in their system, they are always considered to be negligent in auto-accident cases.
Napa Auto Accident & Wrongful Death Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Napa auto accident attorney. If you, a family member, or somebody close has suffered damages to person or property because of a criminally negligent drunk driver, please pick up the phone and call me at my local number, (707) 564-1900 for friendly advice. A phone consultation comes at no cost to you and may give you valuable information regarding the legal aspects of your case. In locations not in the 707 area code, I can be called free of toll at (800) 404-5400.
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