Drunk Driving Accident on State Route 99 in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. An early evening collision along State Route 99 northbound on July 30 in South Sacramento caused minor injuries and ended up with one arrest for drunk driving. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the collision created a traffic hazard in several lanes, and tow trucks were called to remove at least one of the vehicles. It is unknown whether the injured were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation or treatment was provided at the scene.
What Happened
The accident occurred around 6:15 in the evening along SR 99 just north of the Sheldon Road off-ramp. It involved a Toyota Sienna van, a Volkswagen and a Cadillac Escalade. One of the vehicles was tipped in the collision, but it was unspecified by the CHP as to which vehicle. The roadway was cleared for traffic about an hour after the accident, allowing motorists to pass. A phlebotomist was called to the site shortly afterward to administer a blood test to one individual who was detained for intoxication.
Drunk Drivers
Drunk drivers present a high risk to other human lives. Such drivers killed 10,497 people in 2016 in traffic accidents. Of all fatal accidents, 28 percent are caused by impaired drivers. While approximately one million drivers were arrested in that year for driving drunk, about 111 million surveyed said they drove when they were intoxicated. About one-third of drunk drivers who are in a fatal crash range in age from 25 to 34. Motorcyclists, who are in a fatal crash, are slightly older with those aged 35-39 causing 38 percent of the deadly crashes. Statistics show that if a driver was in a drunk driving accident previously, they have a much higher chance of being involved in one again.
How Police Identify a Drunk Driver
A law enforcement officer can discover a drunk driver in one of several ways. The first involves making a roadway stop. This means that there is something such as a broken tail light or speeding that permits the stop to happen. This is called probable cause. At this point, the officer can observe whether there is a high probability that drunk driving might have occurred. Once that is established, the driver may be asked to perform field sobriety tests or use a Breathalyzer that measures blood alcohol concentration in the breath. On some occasions, it may be necessary to test the person’s blood directly for alcohol. In such cases, a phlebotomist is brought to the scene. While most blood draws occur in hospitals or even the police department, it may be done in the field if there is a chance too much time will elapse, which would cause the test to be negative. Sobriety checkpoints are another way drunk drivers can be caught. These checkpoints have proved to be successful in reducing the number of drunk drivers on the road.
Effects of Alcohol
Although the effects of drinking begin when a person has a blood alcohol content as low as 0.02 percent, which is equivalent to two drinks, the legal limit is 0.08 percent. At this level, muscle coordination has decreased, and the subject may have difficulty focusing. Alertness, coordination and the ability to multitask is reduced. One’s judgment is also impaired. Balance, speech and reaction time are all affected. Reasoning is poor as is self-control. The ability to process information is drastically reduced.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver or by any other form of negligence, you have a right to be compensated for your financial loss. Having an experienced injury lawyer at your side can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Reach out to me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. Use my contact us page on AutoAccident.com.
I’ve assisted Sacramento residents and those who live in other Northern California cities in a variety of cases from pedestrian injuries, to car and truck accidents. I also help them in filing wrongful death claims.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates. We are an organization that allows only those members who have won in excess of $1 million for a client.
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Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/drink-driving-drunk-alcohol-808790/
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