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Recent Updates
August 29, 2008
Eagle Rock Car Accident Caused by Street Racing
August 28, 2008
Young Woman Enters Not Guilty Plea in Stockton Drunk Driving Accident
August 27, 2008
Man Sentenced in Los Angeles Train Accident
August 26, 2008
Man Pleads Guilty in Bridgeview Drunk Driving Accident, Sentenced to 8 Years
August 25, 2008
Driver Convicted in Santa Ana Freeway Truck Accident
August 22, 2008
Dallas Bus Accident Reveals History of Violations at Company
August 21, 2008
College Deans Propose Lowering the Drinking Age Limit
August 20, 2008
Dave Matthews Band Saxophonist Dies from ATV Accident Related Complications
August 19, 2008
Teen Driver Charged in Bellflower California Drunk Driving Accident
August 18, 2008
Irvine Resident Charged in Pedestrian Accident
Drunk Driving Accidents
Hollywood Star Charged in Drunk Driving Accident
July 28, 2008
One such incident currently has the tabloids in a frenzy. Shia LeBeouf, the actor best known for his role in this summer’s smash hit Indiana Jones flick, besides his well-publicized skirmish with a Walgreen’s security guard, has been charged in a drunk driving accident. The actor was driving a Ford F-150 pickup at 3 a.m. in the morning in Hollywood. According to police, the actor made a left turn and collided with another vehicle. LeBeouf’s female passengers, as well as the driver of the other vehicle, suffered minor injuries. When cops arrived at the scene of the drunk driving accident, it was obvious that LeBeouf was intoxicated. The actor has now been arrested for driving under the influence. He is undergoing treatment at Los Angeles’ Cedar-Sinai Hospital for injuries suffered to his hand and head.
This isn’t the first time LeBeouf has shown a not-so-pleasant side of him after having downed a few drinks. The last time he was in the news, connected to alcohol, was last November, when he got into a fight with a Walgreen’s security guard who apparently teased him for purchasing Clearasil. The ensuing scuffle saw LeBeouf being charged with criminal trespassing. He famously later told David Letterman on the latter’s show – “Drinking and driving is one thing, but drinking and shopping is just as bad.”
These are obviously the words of an immature, callous young man who barely even understands the importance of the syllables tumbling out of his mouth. Drunk driving in this country is a serious matter; serious enough for politicians to sign in laws that attempt to prevent DUI accidents, serious enough for the police to increase drunk driver suspect chases, and serious enough for the state to pass a law requiring drivers to sign a declaration that they are aware of the dangers of driving while intoxicated. Drunk driving accidents cause tens of thousands of accidents every year, and because the person causing the accident is so drunk they don’t even know what number the speedometer is at, the impact is usually tremendous, and the injuries are generally life-threatening.
Irresponsible people like Shia LeBeouf need to be dealt with as severely as possible because these, for better or worse, are the role models of a growing generation of Americans. The last thing we need is for young Hollywood Turks to give drinking and driving a dangerously “cool” vibe. The best way to do this would be to publicly haul the actor to court for his shameful behavior. The woman, who suffered injuries in the drunk driving accident, should come forward to claim compensation from the actor.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
Man Accused in Fatal Fresno Multi-Car Accident Surrenders
July 15, 2008
Call it guilt, remorse, or just plain fear of the long arm of the law. Whatever the reasons, a 61-year-old man who was suspected of causing a massive pile-up on a Fresno freeway which impacted a total of more than 100 cars and killed two persons, turned himself in at a courthouse on Monday.
Morris Taylor is the man accused of setting off a pileup in foggy weather that ultimately affected more than 100 vehicles on the freeway, last November. After the dust and fog had settled down, there were dozens of people injured in the car accident. Vehicles were smashed against each other and total chaos reigned. Two people were killed.
After the car accident, Morris Taylor was given a blood alcohol test, and his results were found to be at least 3 times above the legal limit. Taylor at the time of the accident, however, claimed no wrongdoing, and denied that he was drunk at the time of the car accident. He claims that he drank a little to calm his nerves, but that was after the alleged drunk driving accident, not before. The San Antonio native eventually returned to Texas, while he and 8 others were charged with causing the car accident.
Taylor has now retuned to Fresno to appear before court in connection with the charges brought against him. This surrender was a complete surprise to officers at the court who weren’t expecting to see him, in the least. The man had an arrest warrant out for him, but prosecutors did not expect that he would be there to face charges.
Taylor admits he has been bitten by remorse. The news of the death of two people in the drunk driving accident he caused, has no doubt played a part in forcing him back to face up to his actions. Taylor admits to being filled with regrets when he thinks of the two innocent victims of the car accident. In fact, he regrets what happened so much, he’s actually stopped driving from the guilt.
While there is no excuse for a man who gets behind the wheel drunk with a blood alcohol level of .24, which is 3 times above the legal limit, and then causes a multi-car pile up that’s one of the worst in recent history, killing two and seriously injuring dozens of others, there is something to be said for Taylor, willingly appearing before court to face charges brought against him. He faces two felony counts of DUI, and stands to face a stiff jail sentence, if found guilty. Not only that, he has also opened himself up to the possibility of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits from victims and family members of those injured or killed in the drunk driving accident. We hope this man realizes that now that he’s turned himself in, it’s time to face the music from all directions.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
Fresno Boy Killed in Drunk Driving Accident
July 03, 2008
A young boy is dead after a yet another drunk driving accident in Fresno early on Wednesday morning. The driver of the car which struck him has been arrested.
11-year-old Daryl Atkinson was playing with another child at B Street. As he crossed the street near B Street and San Joaquin Avenue, he was hit by a car driven by 62-year-old Charles Henry King. The boy was rushed to hospital, where he was declared brain dead.
According to police, Charles Henry King showed signs of intoxication, and he was subjected to a blood alcohol test. The results of the test showed intoxication, although the police haven't confirmed the level of alcohol consumption.
King has been arrested, and charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and DUI injury. As it turns out, King was not even in possession of a valid driver's license, and has also been charged for driving without a license.
Just yesterday, we discussed the ramifications of the Ambriz Act which makes it mandatory for a person applying for a driver's license to sign a declaration in which he states that he is aware of the dangers of drunken driving, and that he is aware that he could be held responsible for any fatalities that occur if he causes a drunk driving accident. Too bad King won't be eligible to be tried for second-degree murder under the act. This drunk driving menace is getting completely out of hand. Too many people are being killed or maimed, as we struggle to deal with the problem to no avail.
King, for instance, is a 62-year-old adult who knows fully well the dangers of driving while intoxicated. What was his excuse for getting behind the wheel of his car drunk, we wonder. You can't blame it on a lack of awareness or youthful recklessness. Barely a day passes when there isn't a drunk driving accident taking place in the state, and usually with fatalities involved.
Thankfully, negligent drivers like King will have no excuse once we really begin to see the act take effect. Drunk driving won't remain a folly to be treated lightly with a light sentence and a slap on the wrist. If concern for your own safety and that of others doesn't motivate a driver to remain sober, then maybe the words "second degree murder charges" will.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
California's Ambriz Act Cautions Drunk Driving Accident Offenders
July 02, 2008
In death, Orange Councilman Steve Ambriz will forever have his name linked to a groundbreaking bill that will no doubt be a turning point in the way we view and treat drunk driving accidents. The Ambriz Act has been signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, and has officially come into force in the state of California. What it does is require all drivers who go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new license, or renew their old one, to sign a document that says that they are completely aware that they could be held liable for any implications arising out of driving while intoxicated.
Ambriz himself became a victim of a drunk driving accident in May 2006. The car in which he was traveling was hit by another vehicle, driven by Sara Lynn Ward. Ambriz suffered severe injuries, and died soon after the drunk driving accident. After the car accident, it was found that Sara was high on methamphetamines at the time. She received a ten-year sentence in prison.
Ambriz's close friend, Todd Spitzer, R-Orange, played a pivotal role in formulating the act, which requires people applying for a license to be made fully aware of the dangers of driving while drinking, and making sure that they accept full responsibility for any consequences of their behavior. Persons will have to sign a declaration saying they are aware that they could be charged with second-degree murder if they cause a drunken driving accident and any fatalities result. They will be charged with behaving maliciously, instead of merely recklessly, as was the case earlier. This new treatment of a drunken driving offence also comes with an enhanced prison sentence - offenders could be looking at up to 15 years in prison.
The second-degree murder charge should prove a significant deterrent to drunken driving accidents. Now, careless, foolish people who get behind the wheel high as a kite won't have the "first time offender" shield to hide behind when they kill someone as a result of their lunacy.
There are those who will moan the comparison of a fatality causing drunken driving accident to second-degree murder. Isn't murder premeditated, they will whine, and how will the threat of murder charges really help solve the problem. To that we have to say that there's nothing "accidental" about getting drunk and then, knowing fully well that you could cause serious injury or harm to others, go right ahead and drive yourself on the street anyway, putting dozens of lives in danger. You might not have planned to take someone out, but if you are fully aware of the repercussions of what you do, and do it anyway, then you are as guilty as someone who planned to kill. It sounds harsh, but arrogance of the kind that we see in drunk driving accidents calls for harsh measures.
We've seen few results from the kind of slap on the wrist we do when we are faced with yet another DUI induced carnage. Victims rarely get justice. Ambriz was barely 35, and had a bright future ahead of him when he died. Ward, on the other hand, who remained unrepentant and entered a not guilty plea in court, will be eligible for parole in four years time. That makes it a total of barely 5 years that this woman will serve. 5 years for taking a man's life. If anything, the Act was too long in coming. At least now, DUI offenders won't be able to face an open court, and brazenly and fearlessly enter a not guilty plea -a blood alcohol test should be all the guilt evidence you need.
Steve Ambriz would definitely have approved.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
