Bakersfield Drunk Driving Accident Injures California Family
A family of eight escaped serious injuries while returning home from a trip to Disneyland. The family did suffer minor injuries in the alcohol related car accident that took place in Bakersfield.
Family members included six children, their father and grandmother, who were driving an SUV on highway 99, were struck by a vehicle being driven by a driver who was intoxicated. While the SUV did flip, the occupants escaped with only minor injuries other than the grandmother, who was airlifted to the hospital due to more serious injuries. The driver of the car causing the accident has been arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol.
SUV accidents commonly include rollovers, which can cause serious head injuries because of the collapse of the roof. The father and children in this case were very lucky that they only had minor injuries. Usually, accidents involving an SUV that flips ends with much more serious injuries to the occupants.
This accident demonstrates how driving under the influence affects the lives of others. The six children, who had just finished enjoying themselves at Disneyland, did not deserve to have their trip home end under unfortunate circumstances as this. While they could have been seriously injured, they were lucky. Sadly, Bakersfield drunk driving accident lawyers see this type of situation all too often. Each year, drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs cause thousands of accidents like this one, although many are much more serious. Motorists who are under the influence have slow reflexes, and often are not aware that they are even about to crash.
In California alone, over 1000 people died because of drunk driving accidents last year. While this is a huge number of fatalities, it is still a significant drop from 2007 when over 1100 died because of drivers under the influence of alcohol. Across the country, motorists who choose to drive while intoxicated have declined, largely due to the efforts of law enforcement agencies and education of the public. Awareness campaigns have been conducted nation wide, and local law enforcement agencies have also done their part. Many counties in California have invested in conducting mock drunk driving crashes for high school students, so that they can see the devastating results that DUI can cause.
The Reeves Law Group has offices across California, dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please contact us for a free consultation at (800)644-8000.