Two people have been hospitalized following a multi-vehicle crash in Wheat Ridge. Colorado police were called to the scene the morning of Aug. 30 where two passenger vehicles and a bus had apparently collided. As with most car accidents, the ongoing investigation is attempting to ascertain a cause for the crash.
According to preliminary reports, a driver police believe may have been intoxicated was operating an SUV headed westbound. Apparently, this driver ran a red light and entered an intersection, where the SUV collided with a bus. The force of the impact shifted the trajectory of the bus, causing it to crash into a third vehicle. The driver of the bus and the two passengers aboard were checked on site by medical personnel but declined to go to the hospital.
The driver of the SUV and the driver of the other passenger vehicle were both injured, however. They were taken to local hospitals in unknown conditions. Police intend to charge the SUV driver with DUI, as they found marijuana in the vehicle and the man is believed to have been under the influence of both alcohol and drugs at the time of the crash. The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Car accidents involving a drunk or otherwise intoxicated driver are often followed by criminal charges. In this case, even if police do not decide to file charges, or if the driver is not convicted, Colorado law still allows the injured parties to sue for personal injury. These lawsuits are handled in civil court, where sufficient evidence of the accused driver’s negligence is required before the court will consider specific items of documented damages to include in a monetary judgment.
Source: kdvr.com, “Police: Suspected DUI driver runs red light, crashes into RTD bus in Wheat Ridge“, Chuck Hickey, Aug. 30, 2017
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