Articles Posted in Drunk Driving Accidents

A tragic crash in Anne Arundel County has left one woman dead and a repeat DUI offender facing severe legal consequences. The February 17 collision on Mitchells Chance Road near Hamlet Club Drive involved a Chevrolet pickup veering into oncoming traffic and striking a Ford truck head-on. The Ford’s passenger, a 74-year-old Upper Marlboro resident, suffered critical injuries and later died at the hospital.

This case highlights the devastating consequences of impaired driving. Families impacted by such reckless behavior often struggle with medical costs, funeral expenses, and long-term financial hardship. Legal action against the responsible party may provide relief and hold repeat offenders accountable.

How Impaired Driving Led to This Fatal Crash

A well-known cast member from The Real Housewives of Potomac has been sentenced to one year in jail following a drunk driving crash in Montgomery County. The conviction stems from a March 2024 arrest, where the driver was found guilty of multiple charges, including negligent driving and failure to control speed to avoid a collision. While acquitted of reckless driving, the court issued a strong sentence, citing the individual’s history of previous traffic offenses.

The judge overseeing the case expressed skepticism that the four known drunk driving incidents over the past 17 years represented the full extent of impaired driving. Given the repeated nature of the offenses, the court determined that a more serious consequence was necessary. Along with the jail term, the driver must pay over $2,000 in fines and be prohibited from operating a vehicle for a year after release.

Repeat DUI Offenses and Public Safety Concerns

A pair of devastating car accidents in Maryland early Friday morning left two people dead and eight others hospitalized. The first occurred on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County, involving a fiery collision that tragically claimed one life and injured four others. Hours earlier, another accident in Prince George’s County resulted in one fatality and four additional injuries.

If you were injured in a car accident or have questions about your rights, understanding your legal options is critical. Maryland law allows victims and their families to seek compensation for damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional suffering.

Details of the I-270 Crash in Montgomery County

Some of the most dangerous situations encountered on most any expressway, beltway or highway are construction zones and accident scenes where road workers or EMS personnel must perform their jobs in close proximity to passing cars and trucks. Despite caution placards and warning signs placed ahead of roadway construction zones — or flashing emergency vehicle lights and flares near active crash sites — some drivers are far too distracted to operate their vehicle safely, often completely ignoring the dangers of driving too fast through a reduced speed zone.

Many distracted or otherwise impaired drivers manage not to cause an accident; but sadly, many other violators are not nearly so lucky. Commuters who drive past long-term construction zones on a daily basis can become more annoyed by the situation and less concerned about the threat of pedestrian accidents along the roadside. And while motorists may be disdainful of construction sites as impediments to their daily commute, coming upon an active crash scene — with the attendant police vehicles, fire trucks and rescue personnel — most thoughtful drivers should understand the gravity of the situation and slow down to a safe passing speed.

Unfortunately, numerous police officers and firefighters are killed or injured every year by drivers who fail to slow down for, or yield the right-of-way to first responders. This sad and all-too-familiar scenario was repeated in early September this year along a stretch of I-495 in Silver Spring, MD, where State Troopers from the Rockville Barrack had responded to a late-night traffic accident between a semi tractor-trailer rig and Lexus passenger car, causing several lanes of I-495 to be closured down.

When someone gets behind the wheel while intoxicated, they aren’t just breaking the law—they are also putting everyone around them at risk. In Maryland, drivers who cause accidents while under the influence can be held accountable through criminal charges and in civil court through personal injury lawsuits. In DUI cases, Maryland law provides a critical legal concept known as negligence per se that can make it easier for victims to prove the impaired driver’s responsibility.

What Is Negligence Per Se in Maryland?

In most personal injury cases, proving negligence requires showing that the at-fault driver failed to act with reasonable care. However, in cases involving DUI, the legal principle of negligence per se can apply. Negligence per se means that a driver is automatically considered negligent if they violate a law designed to protect the public and that violation directly causes harm to someone else.

In Maryland, driving under the influence is illegal under Maryland Transportation Code § 21-902. This law protects the safety of everyone on the road by prohibiting impaired driving. When a driver violates this law and causes an accident, they are automatically considered negligent because they’ve broken a safety law intended to prevent the exact type of harm that occurred.

DUI accidents are among the most devastating types of crashes, often resulting in severe injuries or fatalities. In Maryland, families who lose loved ones in such accidents have legal options to pursue justice and compensation. Understanding your rights under Maryland law is essential if you are dealing with the aftermath of a DUI-related death. A Maryland DUI accident attorney can help you work through these tragic incidents and recover the compensation you deserve.

Fatal DUI Accident in Wicomico County Leads to Manslaughter Charges

In a tragic early morning crash on May 19, three lives were lost due to a head-on collision involving a driver suspected of driving under the influence. The accident occurred on US 13 near Fruitland when a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction collided with another car carrying a young family. The crash claimed the lives of a 21-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman, and their 1-year-old child.

Dangers of Driving Under the Influence in Maryland

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not only dangerous but highly illegal. The chances of crashes and fatal accidents increase when drivers are inhibited because they are less able to react to dangerous road conditions and generally exercise poor judgment when driving. Drivers operating under the influence make bad driving decisions, misjudge driving maneuvers, and are unable to fully concentrate on the road. Unfortunately, Maryland drivers are no exception to this trend and are all too familiar with the dangers of drivers operating their vehicles under the influence. According to a Center for Disease Control (CDC) study, Maryland drivers reported driving after drinking at a higher rate than the national reporting rate. In fact, between 2009 and 2018, 1,515 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes in Maryland. The CDC has found that over 10,000 people per year die in such crashes throughout the country. Recent local news coverage discussed a fatal DUI crash that tragically resulted in a death.

According to the news coverage about the recent crash, the tragic incident occurred around 11:03 PM, on April 1, 2024. The Maryland crash occurred on Route 228 and resulted in the death of one individual and left another in serious condition. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers discovered a devastating scene where a Chevrolet Malibu had collided head-on with a Ford F-150. The preliminary investigation by troopers reveals that the Malibu was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Route 228 near Sharpersville Road at the time of the collision. The Malibu, operating in the opposite direction of traffic, struck the Ford. Investigations into the crash point towards alcohol impairment and driver error as contributing factors. Maryland State Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and have appealed to the public for any witnesses to come forward.

Dangers of Driving Under the Influence in Maryland

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not only dangerous but highly illegal. The chances of crashes and fatal accidents increase when drivers are inhibited because they are less able to react to situations that come up on the road or exercise poor judgment while driving. Unfortunately, Maryland drivers are all too familiar with the dangers of drivers operating their vehicles under the influence. According to a study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Maryland drivers reported driving after drinking at a higher rate than the national reporting rate. In fact, between 2009 and 2018, 1,515 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes in Maryland. The CDC has found that over 10,000 people per year die in such crashes throughout the country. Recent local news coverage discussed a dangerous crash where impaired driving is a suspected cause.

According to the news coverage about the recent crash, the accident occurred early in the morning around 5:00 am before the sun came up on a particularly curved portion of Shreve Road. According to the report, alcohol is suspected to be involved. News coverage of the incident states that the car came over a hill and into a curve of Shreve Road before veering off the street and hitting a tree. At that point, the car spun out or started to roll, crossing Pioneer Lane before coming to rest many feet away. The teenagers that were in the car at the time were scattered around the street having been thrown from the car wreckage. The local fire department, police, and EMS responded to the scene, rescuing the seven teenagers who were involved in the violent crash. Of the seven individuals in the car, the six passengers all experienced life-threatening injuries. At one point, the Fairfax police department launched a helicopter to scan the area for passengers. At the time of reporting, all six passengers were still in the hospital.

Throughout the nation, alcohol-impaired drivers are a major cause of car accidents. Impaired drivers are extremely dangerous on the roads for a number of reasons. Drivers impaired by alcohol suffer from reduced levels of concentration and slower reaction times when processing their surroundings. Additionally, drunk drivers experience inferior hand-eye coordination and they are more likely to use poor judgment and suffer from memory loss while under the influence. All of these factors greatly increase the likelihood of impaired drivers being involved in car crashes. Signs of impaired drivers on the road include but aren’t limited to, quicker than usual acceleration or deceleration, weaving across the road, erratic breaking, slow responses to traffic signals, or excessively slow driving (10 mph below the speed limit). When driving, exercise extreme caution if you spot any of these signs from other drivers on the road. In 2016, Maryland implemented stricter drunk driving laws throughout the state, including harsher penalties and an Ignition Interlock Program.

How Common Are DUI Accidents in Maryland?

Unfortunately, Maryland sees more than its fair share of alcohol-impaired drivers. Over the last five years, almost 800 people in Maryland have been killed in crashes involving impaired drivers and over 10,000 people per year die throughout the United States in alcohol-impaired crashes. Each year, tens of thousands of people are arrested throughout Maryland for drunk or impaired driving. Maryland currently deploys a specialized team of Maryland State troopers assigned to the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) to enforce impaired driving laws. Since 2013, State Troopers in SPIDRE have taken more than 4,000 impaired drivers off of Maryland roads. A recent news report detailed a Maryland car crash.

According to the news report, the fatal accident occurred in the early morning on Thursday, March 1, when a Lincoln MKC traveling north in the southbound lanes of Route 295 near Arundel Mills Boulevard crashed head-on into a Hyundai Tucson. Currently, investigators believe impaired driving may have been a factor in the crash. Maryland State Police responded to the crash around 2:45 am. Investigators said that the driver of the Hyundai Tucson, a 62-year-old woman from Baltimore, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Two passengers in the Hyundai, a 29-year-old man, and a 33-year-old man, were transported by ambulance to the hospital. The driver of the Lincoln MKC, a 33-year-old woman, was also transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs is never a safe or legal option. Drivers should take care to ensure that they plan ahead if intending on being under the influence by finding other transportation options, such as using a ridesharing app. On top of risking the lives of yourself, your passengers, and other motorists and pedestrians sharing the road, perpetrators can face criminal liability. Different jurisdictions have different protocols for charging perpetrators with crimes depending on the circumstances. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 32 people in the United States die in drunk-driving-related crashes every day.

According to a recent news report, a fatal three-vehicle car crash occurred in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The crash occurred on southbound Ritchie Highway and Maryley Station Road in Glen Burnie, Maryland. A 35-year-old man was operating a vehicle traveling southbound and approaching an intersection but failed to stop for a red traffic signal. The vehicle struck two vehicles. As a result of the accident, the driver of the first vehicle that was struck was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 35-year-old driver was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and his 13-year-old passenger was transported to a medical center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Evidence suggested that the 35-year-old driver may have been under the influence of alcohol and that excessive speed may have also played a role in the accident. The driver is facing multiple criminal charges, including, but not limited to, negligent manslaughter, homicide while under the influence of alcohol, and driving under the influence of alcohol while transporting a minor.

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