Booze It And Lose It

An underage drinking driver, high speed, and early morning hours make for a deadly cocktail that cost the life of an Antioch man and will bring criminal charges against his cousin, the driver of the vehicle. According to an article posted on the website of Nashville NewsChannel5 Miguel Crispin-Reyes, 19, was driving at a high rate of speed with his cousin Ancelmo Crispin-Herrera,21, riding in the front seat with him when he, for some unknown reason, left the road and rolled. Mr. Crispin-Herrera was trapped in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Crispin-Reyes is listed in stable condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Such a tragedy, how sad that one poor decision has changed the lives of two young men and their family forever. My sympathy and prayers go out to them.

As an experienced Nashville car accident lawyer I want to remind you that driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. If you follow my blog you will see that in Tennessee we continue to see a tragic number of people with debilitating injuries and deaths as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2008, 327 people were killed in crashes where the driver or motorcyclist had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. That is down from 377 people killed in 2007 with a BAC of .08 or higher. Over the 2008 Labor Day holiday, 12 people were killed in 10 fatal crashes on Tennessee roadways, down from 17 people killed on Tennessee roadways in 2007.

With the winter holidays approaching we must redouble out efforts and be vigilant in reminding our family and friends of the dangers and the high price, not just the driver, but his passengers and families pay as the result of an automobile accident. If you see a driver who appears to be drunk dial *847 and report them to the Tennessee State Troopers.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation so that you can learn about your rights and remedies.

Underage Driinking And Driving

Emergency crews helped to rescue 20-year old driver who was trapped in his SUV after he lost control and flipped the vehicle in downtown Knoxville. He was lucky this time, but thousands of underage drinkers who get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle every year end up dead, seriously injured or having to live the rest of their lives knowing that they caused the death of another human being.

According to an article on the website of Knoxville TV station WBIR, police found alcohol in the wreckage and suspect the driver was under the influence. “Anytime we have, especially a late game, we have more of a problem with alcohol,” Knoxville Police Sgt. Brian Evans said.  “People tend to party all day and they get behind a wheel of a car at night.  Hopefully this is an exception rather than a regular occurrence but anytime alcohol is involved with driving a vehicle usually the outcome is not very good.”

How right Sgt. Evans is. According to Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely, “Many teens feel that bad things will never happen to them, but fatal crashes involving teens happen every day,” he went on to say, “In 2007 alone, we lost 166 Tennessee teenagers in motor vehicle crashes. It is up to all of us to remind our teens to be safe behind the wheel every trip, every time.” According to the United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatalities among teens in the United States.  In 2007 alone, 4,540 teen passenger vehicle occupants 16 to 20 years old were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and more than half (2,502) were unrestrained at the time of the fatal crash.

It’s our job to prevent under age drinking. Most programs focus on stepped up enforcement on the highway, increased enforcement on liquor and beer retailers who provide alcohol to young people and parents in an effort to have them set a good example for their children and to teach them the danger of drinking and driving.

If you or a loved on is injured in a Nashville automobile accident caused by an underage drunk driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates. We offer a free consultation so that you can get a complete picture of the hurdles you will face as you enter into the process of getting your vehicle and your body repaired.