Reckless Driver Causes Havoc on I-80 in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury and car accident lawyer in Sacramento. A reckless driver was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 on April 30, after endangering vehicles that were sharing the roadway at the time. Reportedly, other cars were swerving to avoid colliding with the SUV. However, police said no other accidents happened as a result of the driver’s recklessness. Let’s look at the problems associated with reckless driving, its causes and the extent of the problem in Sacramento.
Additional Details of Erratic Driving Incident
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that they had received numerous calls about a black SUV that was weaving all over the interstate near Marysville Road in North Sacramento beginning at about 5:19 in the afternoon. Allegedly, the callers reported that the SUV was involved in multiple near misses with other vehicles that could have caused serious injuries.
Vehicle Crashes Without Causing Injuries to Others
At 5:26 p.m., it was reported that the SUV had crashed into a guardrail and flipped several times. It ended up lying on its side in the slow lane heading west. Five or six other vehicles pulled over to the right-hand side, presumably to see if they could help the individual in the SUV. At this point, an ambulance was called to examine the SUV driver for injuries. It is unknown at this time whether alcohol or drugs contributed to the driver’s erratic behavior behind the wheel and the resulting crash.
Erratic Driving Caused by Intoxication
Drunk driving is a significant cause of motor vehicle accidents and resultant injuries and deaths in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nearly 29 people die each day along the nation’s roads as a result. In 2016, 10,497 individuals lost their lives from alcohol-impaired accidents. Impaired drivers frequently have difficulty staying in their lane, weaving erratically from one to another.
How Sacramento and the Surrounding County Stack Up
In 2015, the latest year for which results are available, there were 1,080 arrests made in Sacramento of individuals who were driving drunk. Of the 4,502 auto accident injuries or fatalities in 2015, 429 involved alcohol. Because of the high number, Sacramento placed second out of 15 other similarly sized cities in California in the number of drunk driving accidents. Around the county in 2015, there were 11,710 deaths and injuries caused by traffic collisions. Alcohol consumption was a factor in 1,193 of those accidents.
Drugged Driving
Last year, the number of drugged drivers who caused motor vehicle crashes was higher than the number of drunk drivers who did the same. According to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association, drivers who were tested following crashes with fatalities showed that 43 percent of them were impaired by drug use, while 37 percent were legally drunk. The highest number of drug-impaired drivers had used marijuana at more than 33 percent. Nine percent were impaired by the use of amphetamines.
Drug use not only includes illicit drugs but also over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs. One of the problems with stopping drugged drivers is the inability to accurately test for those drugs in a driver. However, the NHTSA recently announced a new initiative, which includes examining new screening devices that can provide an accurate measure of drug use within a few minutes.
Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyer in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury and car accident lawyer in Sacramento. If your accident or that of your loved one was caused by an impaired driver, I can give you free and friendly advice about your case. I can be reached at (916) 921-6400 and have a toll-free number at (800) 404-5400.
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I belong to the Million Dollar Forum, a group of trial attorneys with verdicts/settlements of $1 million or more for a past clients.
I’ve worked as an injury lawyer for over 36 years, helping those in Sacramento to get fair compensation for all types of accident injuries and wrongful deaths.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/car-vehicle-transport-road-motor-3256020/
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