Did you know that in the United States, one person is killed every 50 minutes as a result of motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers (Mothers Against Drunk Driving 2011)? That means every day, 32 people lose their lives of alcohol impaired driving accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that alcohol-related crashes in 2009 reached up to 9,813 incidents nationwide, 196 of which happened in Arizona. During the same year, about 1.4 million drivers were also arrested for driving under the influence.
Alcohol-related crashes have fortunately declined over the years. Despite this welcome change, fatal accidents involving drunk drivers are still a primary concern of the government and private organizations. In fact, more than 10,000 deaths were recorded in car crashes involving an impaired driver whose blood alcohol content reaches or exceeds 0.08 percent in 2009.
Police officers statewide are involved in efforts to stop drunk drivers before they hurt an innocent victim. Unfortunately, one Surprise police officer was not a victim but a drunk driver himself recently when he was arrested for Arizona driving under the influence while having his child in the car.
The driver was taking his 7-year old son to school when the incident happened. According to investigations, he missed a turn and made a wide U-turn, he then drove up on the sidewalk and struck a signal post. He then continued north on Vista Ranch, hit a school zone sign and side swiped a car with a female driver and two children, age 11 and 14, inside.
Police reports revealed that the police officer driving the car could barely stand on his own without falling. He was arrested due to driving under the influence. The authorities also conducted a drug test and it showed that he was under the influence of a nervous system depressant.
He was charged with aggravated DUI and endangerment, both felonies, and is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of an Arizona drunk driving accident, call us at (480) 753-4534 for a free consultation. We can help you hold these alcohol impaired drivers responsible for their actions.
