A father and his 14-year-old daughter were injured in a San Diego car accident, which officials say involved a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in U-T San Diego, the injury collision occurred the night of February 9, 2012 on Country Club Lane in Escondido. The man and the girl were in their condominium on Eveningside Glen, when a 23-year-old man driving on Country Club lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into the residence.
The father was pinned under the front tire of the pickup and it took firefighters 20 minutes to extricate him. He suffered a broken leg, concussion and facial injuries. He has been listed in critical condition. The daughter, who was doing her homework when she was struck, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck suffered head injuries, and has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
My thoughts and prayers are with the critically injured man, his daughter and other family members for what they are going through at this time. I wish both victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
DUI Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were seven fatalities and 79 injuries involving alcohol-related Escondido car accidents. In San Diego County as a whole, 103 people died and 1,754 were injured in DUI collisions, during the same year.
Drunk Driving Law
Based on this news report, the driver of the pickup truck may have been under the influence and speeding at the time of the crash. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a): “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.”
Compensation for Injured Victims
In such cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, injured victims would be well advised to contact an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer, who has a successful track record of financially pursuing drunk drivers. DUI accident victims can seek compensation from the at-fault driver to cover medical expenses, lost wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. A skilled car accident attorney will also advise victims about how their own auto insurance policy might apply to an incident where the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. For more information about the dangers of driving under the influence, please visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) web site at www.madd.org.