Officials in Riverside County suspect that a drunk driver caused a fatal Riverside car accident that killed Monrovia elementary school teacher Maggie Clark. According to a report in the Pasadena Star-News, police arrested 33-year-old Jeremy Cook on suspicion of felony drunk driving and gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with the May 8, 2010 car crash near Hemet. Officials said Cook, who was driving a pickup truck, jumped the center divider and crashed head-on into an SUV driven by the 44-year-old Clark. She was killed at the scene while her passenger, Jan Dunbar, sustained a broken leg.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Maggie Clark for their tragic loss. They will be in my prayers. If Cook is determined to have been intoxicated at the time, I trust he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
DUI Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were four fatalities and 38 injuries involving DUI collisions in Hemet, California. In Riverside County as a whole, 101 people died and 1,090 were injured as a result of alcohol-related crashes during the same year.
Drunk Driving Laws
It is against California law to drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. 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." A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges.
California Penal Code section 191.5 (a) states: "Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence."
Claim for Compensation
In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased victims could file a wrongful death claim seeking damages to cover funeral expenses, lost future earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages. An experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer will be able advise families of victims about their legal rights and options.
Are you in favor of installing Ignition Interlock Devices in all vehicles as a way to deter DUI collisions?
The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
SLS Consulting