Last month a woman, while driving in Athens, Georgia, crossed the center lane in the road and crashed into a group of cyclists riding on the same roadway. One of the cyclists, a student at the University of Athens, was struck head-on and killed instantaneously. The other two cyclists survived but experienced serious injuries. The driver was allegedly driving under the influence of prescription drugs and using her cell phone when the car crash occurred. The driver now faces first degree homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle DWI, DUI endangerment, failure to maintain lane and distracted driving charges. The driver, also has an open DUI case for another driving while under the influence encounter.
DWI Prescription Drugs in Texas
As this tragic example illustrates, death is a logical outcome to a head-on collision with a car. That the car crash occurred with a cyclist on a bicycle leaves no chance for survival of the victim. The other cyclists sustained serious injuries that will take months to recover from and are life changing. Had this car crash occurred in Texas, the driver would face similar charges including the felonies of intoxication manslaughter for the death of the cyclist and intoxication assault for the serious injuries to the other two cyclists. In Denton, Collins, and Dallas counties drunk drivers are subject to arrest if they operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. Prescription drugs and illegal drugs have the same legal effect. If the offending substance is an illegal drug or non-prescribed prescription drug additional drug related charges may be added to the underlying DWI charge at the discretion of the district attorney’s office.
Cycling Deaths: Facts and Figures
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2014, there were 726 cycling deaths from car and bike collisions. 88% of those killed were men largely in urban areas. 20% of the fatalities occurred between 6:00 PM and 8:59 PM. In 19% of the cases the cyclists had a BAC level of 0.08% or higher; in 35% of the fatality crashed either the bicyclist or driver were driving drunk. California, Florida, and Texas lead the nation in the number of cyclist fatalities while Vermont and Rhode Island recorded no cyclist fatalities in 2014. The cost of cyclists’ death and injuries totals over $4 billion annually.
DWI Defense in Texas from an Experienced DWI Lawyer
Plano and Denton Texas DWI Defense lawyer Kimberly Griffin Tucker represents people in criminal DWI proceedings as well as the corresponding civil administrative ALR hearings following driver’s license suspensions. From the charge to arraignment, sentencing through nondisclosure and expungement, Kimberly Griffin Tucker handles the full spectrum of DWI cases in Denton, Collins, and Dallas Counties to help you resolve your DWI arrest as quickly as possible. Contact Kimberly Griffin Tucker at 972-833-8246 or online to schedule your free case evaluation.
(image courtesy of Pedro J Perez)