drunk driver

3 hospitalized following wrong-way collision

March 10, 2015 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

Three people were injured in a multi-vehicle collision on a Washington highway on the night of March 1. According to the Washington State Patrol, early investigation indicated that the crash occurred because a suspected drunk driver was traveling in the wrong direction on Highway 18 and sideswiped one vehicle before colliding head-on with another.

The wrong-way driver, a 37-year-old Puyallup woman, was the only occupant of a 2012 Honda Civic. According to authorities, the Civic was westbound on the eastbound side of Highway 18 approximately one mile west of Kent just prior to 9:30 p.m. A 52-year-old Tacoma woman was eastbound on the highway in a 2002 Dodge Stratus; she swerved but was sideswiped by the Civic, which then continued on and crashed head on with a 1997 Mercedes driven by a 48-year-old Carnation woman.

Police and rescue workers arrived on scene after receiving reports of the crash. The driver of the Civic was transported to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center. Authorities have indicated that she may face criminal charges, including vehicular assault and driving under the influence, once she is released. The other two drivers were transported to Valley Medical Center. None of the vehicles were carrying any passengers.

Elderly man accused of driving drunk, causing accident

November 20, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

The Washington State Patrol alleged that an 86-year-old man was driving drunk while traveling the wrong way on Interstate 5 in Tacoma on Nov. 10. According to officers, they were dispatched to the area around 10:35 p.m. after receiving calls regarding a wrong-way driver in the southbound lanes of the highway.

Troopers reported that the man, who was driving an SUV, hit a southbound minivan before hitting a sedan head-on. A 36-year-old female passenger in the sedan was injured. Emergency responders transported her to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment.

Troopers placed the elderly man under arrest and took him into custody on suspicion of DUI. He may also face charges of vehicular assault. The accident forced the closure of two lanes of the interstate while police completed their investigation and cleaned up the accident debris.

Washington driver charged after accident

August 26, 2014 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

A 21-year-old driver was charged by police with vehicular homicide for killing his friend while he was attempting to replicate a skateboard trick using his car. The driver was traveling on Saturday, Aug. 16, with friends when one of his passengers asked him to try a ‘slap the rail” trick using his car. The idea was to hit the curb with the tires of the car and cause it bounce the vehicle.

The vehicle was headed north on Interstate 205. The driver took the exit ramp at freeway speed and lost control. The vehicle landed upside down. Police said an 18-year-old passenger was killed in the rollover and the other occupants all suffered minor injuries.

Reports state the group of friends had been watching a skateboarding movie earlier in the day. Police said the driver of the car was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The driver was brought into court on Monday, Aug. 18. The judge set his bail at $30,000 and his arraignment for Aug. 29.

More females are driving drunk and causing safety hazards

November 1, 2013 | Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC

According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) statistics, drunk driving rates have shifted towards the female population by approximately 15 percent over the past three decades. In the early 1980’s, drunk driving arrest rates were 90 percent male and 10 percent female. By 2011, the rate of drunk driving arrests had shifted to 75 percent male and 25 percent female.

Many safety experts understand that in order to reduce the rate of drunk driving accidents, our society must understand why the demographics of drunk drivers are shifting among gendered lines. Some suggest that women are driving more frequently, while others insist that it has become increasingly socially acceptable for women to drink substantial amounts of alcohol in public.

Some even suggest that the uptick in female drunk driving arrests is rooted in the substantial pressures women face within society to be all things at all times. The pressure to be a perfect employee, wife, mother, friend, community member, etc. can inspire women to drink in order to take the edge off.