People who are pulled over and arrested for drunk driving can consider themselves lucky, in one respect. If police determine they're intoxicated and stop them from driving before they get into an accident, it means the driver won't run the risk of injuring himself or others in a crash.
A man who was arrested in Tillamook County wasn't so fortunate. The 26-year-old was driving his Buick north on U.S. Highway 101 when he crossed into the southbound lane and slammed into a Honda minivan carrying a woman and three children, ages 2, 6 and 8. The entire family was sent to a hospital for their injuries. The driver was injured, too, and was also taken to a hospital. He was cited to appear in court on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, four counts of recklessly endangering other people and third-degree assault.
Another driver was arrested recently on Highway 30 after a crash that sent two people to the hospital. The 63-year-old St. Helens man's pickup truck rear-ended a 2008 Nissan carrying three people. The collision was so forceful that it knocked the Nissan off the road and into a tree. Its passengers had to be extricated with the Jaws of Life before they were sent to a hospital. The drivers weren't injured, but the man who rear-ended the other car has been charged with one count each of DUII, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person and fourth-degree assault.
Because these drivers are accused of injuring other people, they face extra charges and penalties if they're convicted. It's also possible the people who were hurt in the collisions will file civil suits to ensure their medical expenses are covered. Many people don't anticipate these costs when they drink and drive, and if they think about being intoxicated while they're behind the wheel, they're often more focused on whether police will catch them. As these two cases show, being pulled over by police should be the least of their worries.
Source: Oregon Live, "Head-on collision north of Tillamook injures two adults and three children," Dominique Fong, Feb. 25, 2012
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