Police in Prince George’s County are continuing an investigation into a four-car collision that happened recently in Oxon Hill in which one man died.
Police reported that they were called to the 7400-block of Indian Head Highway around 3:30 in the morning, and that one of the officers pronounced one of the drivers dead at the scene. According to a preliminary investigation, police believe that the deceased driver was struck by another car shortly after making a U-turn. That crash then resulted in secondary collisions. Two additional individuals were transported to local hospitals for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Police also believe that alcohol and speed appear to have been factors in causing the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) website, which references data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2011 some 9,878 people were killed and approximately 315,000 were injured as a result of drunk driving. This means that approximately every 53 minutes on average, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash, and that every 90 seconds, someone is injured.
In Maryland in particular, drunk driving lead to the death of 162 drivers in 2011, which equates to 33% of all traffic fatalities that year.
While there are criminal laws in place to address those who drive under the influence, individuals injured or killed as a result of a drunk driver may have recourse in the form of a civil lawsuit as well.
Car accidents often occur because one of the drivers was at fault. The theory of fault in car accident cases is typically negligence. This means that the driver failed to act reasonably in the operation of his or her vehicle. A driver is required to drive in the way that a reasonably prudent (safe) person would drive. A driver cannot drive in such a way as to needlessly endanger other motorists or pedestrians. Any deviation from this standard can potentially be considered negligence. While driving under the influence is one such example, other potential examples include things such as excessive speeding, failure to yield, failure to signal a turn or a lane change, running a stop sign, or any other traffic infractions.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident in Maryland, contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers immediately. We have extensive experience in aggressively advocating on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered due to personal injury or wrongful death as a result of a car accident. If you believe that your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact us today by calling 1-800-654-1949, or through our website, in order to schedule your free initial consultation. We will fight to ensure that your receive the compensation that you deserve.
More Blog Posts:
Several Deaths in 7 Vehicle Accident on Route 32 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published August 30, 2013
Route 152 Closed Following Serious 3 Car Accident, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published August 27, 2013