Articles Posted in Boston Drunk Driving Accidents

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The summer is a really dangerous time for driving, and some of the highest risk times on the road occur on Memorial Day Weekend, Fourth of July Weekend and Labor Day Weekend. Why are these days so dangerous? One simple reason: Impaired drivers.

People drive drunk far more often during summer holiday celebrations than they do at most other times of the year, and they put themselves and others at risk. beer-dude-1559597-300x201

Drunk drivers are breaking the law. Not only can an impaired driver face criminal charges, but a driver who is drunk can also be sued by victims of any crashes the motorist causes to occur.  Victims should consult with a Boston drunk driving accident lawyer who can help them to obtain toxicology reports, police testimony, witness testimony and other evidence necessary to prove a driver was drunk and caused an accident to happen. Continue reading

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When a person is pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving, the police have likely witnessed some type of suspect driving behavior.  In some cases, the police will arrive at the scene of a drunk driving accident and become aware of the fact that one or more of the drivers may have been driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

beerAuthorities have various tools at their disposal to determine if there is probable cause to place a person under arrest for drunk driving.  In Massachusetts, the formal name for a drunk driving charge is operation of a motor vehicle under the influence intoxicating liquor or drugs (OUI).  Probable cause means that there is some probability that defendant is guilty of an offense for which he or she is about to be arrested and charged.  This is basically the lowest standard of proof in criminal or civil court system, but courts will, and often do, dismiss criminal cases following a motions hearing if the prosecutor cannot establish probable cause to have arrested or charged a defendant.  This applies to cases following a Boston drunk driving accident as well. Continue reading

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According to a recent news article from The Boston Globe, there may be a path for some military veterans to avoid a criminal conviction for drunk driving if they complete a specific pretrial diversion process.  Pretrial diversions are nothing new, but one specifically for drunk driver who are also military vets is new and is causing a great deal of controversy, even among some veterans themselves and others who have nothing but the utmost respect for the brave men and women who risked their lives to serve our nation.

army duiThe cases stemmed from a 2012 law that created a specific path to avoid prosecution for military veterans. This law, officially called the Valor Act, gives judges discretion to allow military veterans to go to specially designed rehabilitation programs to help them learn to not drink and drive and better return to civilian life. There is no question that it is very hard for many military veterans, especially those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, to return to what we would consider a normal prewar life, given the incredible and often unimaginable experiences they had while serving overseas. Continue reading

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According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, Chelsea police have evidence from a surveillance camera operated by the city that allegedly shows a drunk driver going on what they call a “wild ride” right through downtown. Chelsea is the 1.8 square mile incorporated city located just across the Mystic River from Boston.  While Chelsea does not have a large population, there are many drunk driving incidents, including serious or fatal drunk driving accidents that occur there each year.

drunk driving accidentIn this recent incident, police say the 56-year-old defendant was driving his Chrysler PT through the heart of the city in a manner than had more than two dozen people fleeing for safety as they witnessed the car as it allegedly went down the steps of the city’s Civil War memorial and then drove right onto the lawn in front of Chelsea City Hall. Continue reading

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While it is good that there has been a strong push to enhance drunk driving laws, especially in cases involving serious or even fatal drunk driving accidents, it will not do any good if the new stricter laws are not enforced when the opportunity presents itself.  However, according to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, that is exactly what is occurring.

gavelFor those who are not familiar with Melanie’s law, it was passed more than a decade ago.  The purpose of the 2005 law was to make the penalties for drunk driving offenses much tougher in Massachusetts to prevent serious drunk driving accidents, including fatal ones that occur in Boston and other parts of the state. Continue reading

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As discussed in a recent article from The Economist, while the media is often discussing the very real problems of gun violence in America, far more people are killed in a fatal car accidents, and and an even greater number of victims are inured.

phoneLooking at the numbers, around 40,000 people will die in car crashes across the U.S. each year.  Around 10,000 (roughly 25 percent) of these deaths are caused by drunk driving crashes.  This means that approximately a quarter of all traffic fatalities in the nation would not have occurred if those drivers decided to either not drink to the point of intoxication or decided not to get behind the wheel after becoming intoxicated. Continue reading

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For those who are new to driving in Boston and the greater Boston area, rotaries can be among the most confusing and seemingly dangerous features of the road that one can encounter.  These feature drivers going around in circles at relatively high speeds and do not seem to be yielding to other drivers regardless of who has right of way.

roundaboutAs it turns it, rotaries, or roundabouts as they are called in Great Britain, can cause problems anywhere. This is especially true when a driver trying to negotiate one of them is drunk. According to a recent news article from Cornwall Live, a mother was allegedly driving drunk with her 19-month-old son when she approached a roundabout at high rate of speed. Continue reading

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According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, a police officer in Wareham, Massachusetts was injured after a drunk driver allegedly hit him during his patrol shift. The accident occurred just after midnight when the defendant’s vehicle was allegedly turning into the parking lot of a local restaurant.

cruiserAuthorities have said officer was on patrol when defendant was driving past a restaurant.  Without warning, defendant allegedly turned sharply to enter the restaurant parking lot and slammed into the police cruiser. Continue reading

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Drunk driving is always a serious offense, as it can result in a serious or event fatal drunk driving accident. From time to time we see stories in the news that are somewhat humorous within the confines of a more serious situation.  According to a recent news report from the Boston Globe, a man was recently arrested on suspicion of drunk driving while wearing a shirt that said “Drunk Lives Matter.”

beerAuthorities have said the 44-year-old defendant was pulled over this past St. Patrick’s Day for driving in an erratic manner.  Once he was pulled over, authorities became concerned he was driving under the influence of alcohol.  It should not be a surprise that local and state police across the country will step up drink driving enforcement on days like St. Patrick’s day and other holidays, when people are known to drink to the point of intoxication and then get behind the wheel of car. Continue reading

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Lawmakers in Utah are weighing one of the strictest DUI laws in the country, and legislators in Massachusetts are paying close attention. beer

Lawmakers voted to lower the legal limit of a motorist’s blood-alcohol content to 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, down from 0.08 grams, which is the standard for criminal DUI laws across the nation.

Supporters of this more stringent threshold say it’s going to save lives because it will compel more people to stay off the road if they’ve been drinking – even a little. However, those who oppose the measure say it’s going to hurt tourism. Utah is already seen as a rather unfriendly place for those who choose to imbibe, they said, and this would further that assumptions. Further, they argued, the law isn’t likely to help drive down DUI injuries and deaths. Even the 0.08 BAC standard doesn’t stop people from getting behind the wheel drunk.  Continue reading

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