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21 Year Old Found Guilty of Second Degree Murder Following DUI Crash
https://www.ocregister.com/2010/02/16/woman-21-guilty-of-murder-in-fatal-dui-crash/
Twenty-one year old Brittany Schuetz of Santa Ana was found guilty of second-degree murder following a car crash that killed twenty-six year old April Whang in February 2009, according to the Orange County Register. Schuetz was driving with a blood alcohol level of five times the legal limit when she ran a red light at Beach Boulevard and Imperial Highway in La Habra, slamming into Whang’s car as it passed through the intersection on a green light. Schuetz already had a previous drunken driving conviction from 2007. She will receive up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing on April 30.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price expressed relief at the verdict, stating that because Schuetz was a young woman she feared the jury would give her a lesser punishment than she deserved for her actions.
Drunken driving is a serious crime. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident by a drunken driver, please exercise your legal rights and contact an experienced personal injury attorney to learn more about obtaining monetary compensation for your injuries and damages.
Santa Barbara Police Make 2 DUI Arrests at Check points, Urge Safety for Super Bowl Sunday
http://www.thedailysound.com/News/020210duicheckpoints
Santa Barbara police officers enforced DUI checkpoints on Coast Village Road, Haley Street, San Andres Street, and Shoreline Drive last weekend, the Santa Barbara Daily Sound reports. Police made two DUI arrests and cited thirteen other for driving without a valid license during the course of the checkpoints. Santa Barbara police plan to add nine additional checkpoints for a total of thirteen during Super Bowl Sunday.
The Santa Barbara Police Department is encouraging Super Bowl partygoers to establish a designated driver for the night of football, food, and, in many cases, large quantities of alcohol. Additionally, the police department urges anyone who sees a suspected drunken driver while on the road to call police immediately and report the driver.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008 almost 50% of the driving fatalities from the time of kickoff to the morning after the Super Bowl were alcohol related. Additionally, according to a study done by the Automobile Club of Southern California, drunken driving incidents are 27% more likely to occur statewide on Super Bowl Sunday.
Given these statistics, please exercise safety and caution when celebrating football’s biggest day. If a drunken driver hits you or a loved one, please contact experienced personal injury attorneys immediately to determine your legal options at a free consultation
Marine Sentenced in Drunken Driving Accident
https://www.ocregister.com/2010/01/22/former-marine-sentenced-for-killing-doctor/
Former Marine Elijah Ferguson was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on Friday for causing a car accident that killed Dr. Michael Sein and severely injured his wife, Grace Sein, the Orange County Register reports.
Ferguson rear-ended the Sein’s stopped vehicle at 75 miles per hour on February 22, 2008 in Orange County. Toxicology reports indicated that Ferguson’s blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit at the time of the collision. Ferguson, a Marine at the time who has since been discharged, had been playing drinking games with fellow Marines shortly before driving. His friends attempted to hide his keys to prevent him from driving, however Ferguson ordered a lower-ranking Marine to return his keys so that he could visit his wife and baby.
This terrible incident clearly illustrates how many lives a single drunken driving accident can affect, as both families involved continue to grieve. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a drunken driver, you need clear answers and aggressive representation to ensure fair compensation for medical bills and pain and suffering. Please contact personal injury and wrongful death attorneys today to learn more about your legal options.
Local City Ranks #1 in California for Alcohol-Related Collisions and Hit and Runs
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/sep/17/oxnard-police-making-strides-in-traffic-safety/
Oxnard, California has the highest number of alcohol-related collisions and hit and run incidents in California, according to recently published statistics from 2007.
On average, there are ten traffic deaths per year in Oxnard, with at least two of those deaths involving pedestrians. The Oxnard Police Department cites dangerous intersections, improper signaling, and poorly designed lanes as the cause of many of the accidents. Another cause, one accompanied by the highest fatality rates, is driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Oxnard Police Enforcement is cracking down on DUIs through checkpoints, saturation patrol, public information campaigns, and community outreach programs.
On August 29, officers from multiple agencies issued a DUI crackdown on Highway 101. During an 8 hour period, they pulled over 230 drivers for traffic violations, arrested 10 people on suspicion of DUI, and towed 12 cars driven by unlicensed drivers.
With the steps taken by the Oxnard Police Department and other Oxnard agencies, hopefully the city can become a safer place to drive and live.
If you’ve been the victim of an alcohol-related collision or a hit and run incident, you need the best-skilled attorneys to handle your case with experience, analysis, and determination for results.