2011
Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of fatal drinking and driving car accidents in the entire country. Many families every year experience the wrongful death of a loved one because of the selfishness or lack of foresight of other people. Other families' lives are forever changed when a loved one survives a drinking and driving crash but suffers severe long-term injury.
Just three states rank ahead of Pennsylvania in the number of DUI fatalities that occurred between 2005 and 2009 according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. When it comes down to ranking counties in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County comes in at number two in the number of DUI fatalities over the same time period. Based on those statistics Pittsburgh is one of the most dangerous areas to be on the road when it comes to drinking and driving. While DUI statistics paint a partial picture of the issue, the stories of families who have suffered because of drinking and driving send the point home.
The story of one family whose lives have been unalterably changed because of drunk driving demonstrates the need for driver responsibility. On January 18, 2009, two brothers were walking next to road when a drunk driver hit them from behind. One brother remembers being covered in blood at the accident scene. The other brother was actually killed during the accident, brought back to life and remained in a coma over the next six weeks.
The brother who suffered a coma experienced a spinal decapitation during the accident. While the accident was not fatal, the family's lives are no longer the same because the brother needs the assistance of a machine to breathe and must take 15 drugs every hour. The drunk driver spent three days in jail but the brother will likely spend the rest of his life in a hospital bed.
Source: wtae.com, "Pennsylvania's many DUI drivers devastate families," 3/14/11
Tags: DUI, Pennsylvania, car accident, drunk driving, wrongful deathComments: Leave a commentView the Original article