When an individual makes the decision to drink and drive, they also take on full responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, it seems as though the people harmed by drunk driver negligence are rarely the ones who are driving under the influence. While still under investigation, a recent crash in Colorado appears to be the result of a driver who failed to act in a responsible manner. The crash left a young man seriously injured when he was hit by an elderly woman on her way to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
The incident took place on a recent Wednesday afternoon. An 18-year-old University of Colorado student was having lunch outside of a church just across the street from campus when a Toyota Highlander approached. That vehicle was driven by a 73-year-old woman.
Witnesses told police that the driver crashed into a food truck, then struck the young man before colliding into the front of the church. One witness estimated that the young man was thrown or pushed by the vehicle up to 30 feet from where he was eating his lunch. The driver of the car appeared unharmed and was disoriented and upset following the impact.
The teen was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries; his current condition is unknown, but he was able to speak with the reverend of the church on the day following the accident. The driver has been charged with DUI as well as vehicular assault. As she moves through her criminal trial, the judge may find that this crash resulted from an act of drunk driver negligence. If such a determination is made, the victim may decide to use the evidence gleaned from the criminal trial to move forward with a Colorado civil suit against the driver. Through a successful personal injury suit, he stands to recover the costs of his medical treatment as well as additional damages related to the crash.
Source: CBS Denver, “Driver, 73, Strikes Student, Crashes Into Church,” Oct. 4, 2012
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