DUI

DUI Crash Damages Newport Beach Home

A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he crashed into a house. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the crash was reported the night of February 10, 2013.

Police say the man was driving south on Cliff Drive and continued even though the street ended in a T-intersection at Irvine Avenue. The driver, who was identified as Michael Joseph Anderson of Westminster, was transported to a local trauma center with unknown injuries.  Luckily, it does not appear that there are any other victims in the alleged DUI crash.

DUI Crash Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2011, 9,878 people were killed in alcohol-impaired DUI crashes. These DUI fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total crash fatalities in the United States.

Under California law, it is illegal for operators of vehicles to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. The percentages of drunk drivers involved in fatal DUI crashes with a BAC level of 0.08 percent or higher in 2011 were 29 percent for motorcycles, 24 percent for passenger cars and 21 percent for light trucks. Read the rest »

Wrongful Death Just Hours After Super Bowl

San Francisco 49er Delanie Walker’s family is grieving the tragic deaths of his uncle and aunt, Alice and Bryan Young of Pomona. The Los Angeles County couple was at the Super Bowl with their nephew and was killed barely hours after the big game Sunday night, ESPN reports.

Louisiana State Police say the Youngs were killed early morning on Feb. 4 on the Interstate 10 in LaPlace, just west of New Orleans. Officials say the couple’s vehicle was stopped on the shoulder of the road when it was struck by a car driven by 26-year-old Nechole T. Thomas of Houston. Both vehicles caught fire on impact. Read the rest »

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus is a hard way of saying that the testing officer is looking for an involuntary jerking or bouncing of the eyes as they are moved from center to the side of your field of vision.  This test is administered during a dui investigation while the officer is facing you and, if dark, he is using an indirect light source like a flashlight.  The officer will usually tell you “I am going to check your eyes.  Keep your head still and follow my pen with your eyes only.  Keep following my pen until I tell you to stop.”

Officers have been told they are to look for three things in the administration of this DUI test.  Before conducting the test the officer will insure the eyes of the subject are tracking.  If the eyes are not tracking the test cannot be conducted. Read the rest »

A wild wake up call for a family in a South Pasadena neighborhood when a woman suspected of drunk driving plowed through the front door of their home.  A little after 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, the family was awoken by a massive boom where the van hit the house after the driver failed to negotiate a turn. According to NBC LA, no one was hurt but the impact was so strong the minivan went halfway into their living room.

“The cabinet in kitchen got smashed in that’s how hard impact was,” said Gillespie. The driver, identified as 24-year old Veronica Villanueva of Rosemead, was booked into custody on a drunken driving charge, police said. The crash happened at 2:23 a.m. when Villanueva was driving north on Raymond Avenue. She failed to negotiate a turn onto Alhambra Road, jumped the curb and crashed into the home, officials said. Nine people were inside. No one was hurt.

These types of car accidents seem to happen more frequently than in the past.  People driving under the influence, reckless or going too fast end up in people’s backyards, sidewalls, even swimming pools.

Fortunately no one was injured in this case but with nine residents inside it could have been a terrible tragedy for this family.

Drunk driving is suspected in this case and the family will no doubt be filing an insurance claim with their homeowner’s coverage. The woman, if found negligent could be responsible for repaying the cost of the damage to the home. The family may have to seek out a personal injury attorney to help them recover monetary damages.

Pictured, fire fighters remove a minivan that went through a Pasadena home while the family slept inside. (image courtesy of NBC LA).

An Orange County Transportation Authority employee, who was driving an agency-issued Toyota Prius, was seriously injured in a Santa Ana car accident involving a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the major injury collision occurred in the 200 block of North Harbor Boulevard near First Street the morning of October 5, 2012. Police say a Chevy Tahoe struck the Prius. The woman was extricated from the Prius and transported to an area hospital with major injuries. The driver of the Tahoe was detained on suspicion of driving under the influence. The investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to this injured OCTA employee who has suffered severe injuries in this collision. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. She will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.

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Ramon Celaya, 20, died from injuries sustained in a Riverside car accident, which officials say was caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the DUI crash occurred the night of September 29, 2012. California Highway Patrol officials say Celaya was driving along Highway 74 near Winchester Road. At the time, 26-year-old Edilberto Sixtos was fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run collision when he crossed over the double yellow line and veered into Celaya’s Toyota Tacoma.

Celaya, Sixtos and two teenagers were transported to an area hospital with major injuries. Sixtos was arrested on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run causing injury. Celaya died from his injuries the evening of October 2, 2012. Officials expect to file more charges against Sixtos in connection with the fatal collision.

Read the rest »