Alcohol Suspected In Wrong Way Crash That Claimed Four Lives

I also hate drunk drivers.

I suppose the silver lining is that the drunk moron didn’t survive the accident he caused for a change…

My husband witnessed a car t-bone another last night at the ramp leaving highway I-70 last night. He could see the wreck coming- the guy never even slowed down. I am going to guess alcohol was involved. Luckily, everyone from that wreck was still moving. Many years ago, I- then a humble college freshman- made the mistake of getting in a car with a drunk driver. He was one of those people who drank so much that you really couldn’t tell when he was drunk and when he wasn’t. It was day time, I just needed a ride to pick up some cold medicine, we were only teenagers, he was my boyfriend’s friend… he’d never hurt me, right? Wrong. It was a single car accident. I knew I was going into shock, but couldn’t remember if I was supposed to elevate my head or feet. I started to shake- so painful, I can’t describe, from the shock. Seemed like forever before an ambulance arrived (it was 1986- pre-cell phone days), I told them to take me to St. John’s… I closed my eyes, the shock trousers helped the pain, I thought if I could just go to sleep, it would be ok… the EMT called to the driver- “step it up, we are loosing her! No BP!” My eyes flew open- “Not today, you are not!” It was my blind luck (or divine intervention- your call) that the top trauma surgeon in the region happened to be on-duty at that hospital at that time. The doctors panicked about contacting my parents (again, pre-cell phone), but I feeble-y lifted my head up and cried “I’m 18, let’s get the show on the road!” and off I went to surgery. My sorority sisters lined the hallway as they wheeled the gurney- I looked up at one of them “Guess I don’t need a date to Friday’s dance now, huh?” I took about 5 pints of blood. My 5’9″ self got down to 112 pounds. My right adrenal gland resembled oatmeal, according to the surgeon, and was sent off to pathology. My liver was pretty much bisected. Luckily for me, livers are quite tough organs and they regenerate. I got better. But I have scars- physical ones, and some PTSD (did you know that traffic accidents are the leading cause of PTSD in the US?). And I hate drunk drivers with a withering passion. I was in my 30s before I ever wore a bikini (inspired by my niece, who rocked one despite her heart surgery scars), and I still remember when one of my high school students caught a glimpse of the scar while we were on a school hiking trip. “DAMN, Mrs. G,” he said, “you got SHANKED!” Thanks, Matt! I never had classroom management problems with him again, and he gave me a little perspective on the importance of survival. Here’s my scar set. Here’s why my parent got the call from a hospital ER 2.5 hours away from them saying “We have your daughter; we’ll call you if she makes it out of surgery.” Here’s why you need a f’ing designated driver, a taxi cab, the number to that scooter guy… I have a husband, friends, two adorable children, and some drunk almost took it all away January 21st, 1986.

*steps off soap box*

I couldn’t have said it better. My mother, my cousin, and a dear friend have all been damn near killed by drunk drivers. We ought to stop jailing people who smoke weed and institute mandatory jail sentences for 1st time drunk drivers. It would save money, save lives, and save a whole lot of people a whole lot of pain and heartache.

My state has the weakest drunk driving laws in the country. It’s pitiful.

Who fucking drinks and drives with their KIDS IN THE CAR?! what the fuck!?

Two families have been decimated. I can’t fathom this kind of loss.

As much as it destroys me to read stories like this one, I make myself do it. It serves as an endless validation to my choice to quit drinking years back. I could never escape the fear that one day it would be ME behind the wheel drunk having killed someone. So I quit.

That said, Merry Christmas to all DD’ers who celebrate the holiday.

Multiple accidents as a child (with my drunk mother and drunk boyfriends and drunk third parties smashing into us) has left me with driving related PTSD as well. No one really seems to believe you though unless you went to war, so there’s not a ton I can really do about it. I just have my husband drive me around, and close my eyes a lot.

He knew he was going to be driving his own children home. If this dickhead had had two working brain cells, one of them should have told him not to even have one drink. Now he has no working brain cells………..

Most people don’t realize their alcohol impairment. It is important for hosts to police the guests.

If you have the urge to drive while drunk please do the world a favor and go play in a snowstorm naked for a few hours. Risking your own life is one thing, but risking the lives of your family and everyone else on the road is a completely asshole selfish thing to do and you should be shot in the stomach.

you reap what you sow.

So a person who cannot make good decisions while driving will make good decisions as not to drive? If the person were not intoxicated I would agree. “Loosen up” means to drop inhibitions. If you are helping someone become less aware of his surroundings, you have at least a moral responsibility. Please note I said at least, but I really feel it is more.

Please note that I said: “…when they shouldn’t be drinking at all…”
If a person won’t, or can’t, self-regulate, then they should never put themselves in the middle of a party where alcohol is served. The host isn’t holding them down and forcing them to consume the alcohol, they’re doing it all on their own. It’s called “free will.”

Shifting responsibility to others is just another social bandwagon for alcoholics & drunken fools to jump onto in order to “water down” their personal culpability.

As long as we’re trying to give some perspective… 8583 deaths associated with drunk driving in one year, compared to 112,000,000 self-reported incidences of drunk driving in a year (and even that estimate is considered to be rather low, but that’s the number we’ll go with). That means the risk of killing someone while drunk driving is .000077%, or 1 in 13,049. You could drive drunk every day for 35 years and never kill someone.

I’m not trying to downplay the risk associated with drunk driving, just pointing out that it’s no where near premeditated murder. Those who kill someone while driving drunk should be punished harshly – the current average of about 4 years is not nearly enough. But it’s manslaughter (the unintentional killing of an individual due to negligence), not murder.

I don’t drink alcohol anymore. Stopped 25 yrs ago and don’t regret it. I see lots of drunken people driving cars or bikes and wonder who they will kill. Alcohol content for a driver should be ZERO.

I know everyone on this site thinks the sun shines out your arse but are you at all capable of letting someone vent/state their opinion without jumping in all-knowing and sanctimonious?
It’s fucking grating to say the least. I know without fail that if someone mentions death penalty you’ll come galloping in on your high-horse to set them straight..it’s predictable and boring. Anyone that reads these comments regularly gets all the legalities and morality of why the death penalty isn’t applied as much as it should be from your endless novella length post on the subject. Could you please for the love of Jesus bite your tongue every now and then and just let people vent without having to correct them?!

I got in a car with a drunk driver and I will NEVER FUCKING DO IT AGAIN. He was the kind of drunk that could act normal and say he was fine, but then he goes a 100 mp/h down a sidestreet with his girlfriend in the car screaming at the top of her lungs for him to stop and to think of their kids while I’m holding onto the chair like we’re taking off on a plane.

I know. If I’m driving my kids anywhere, I won’t have even a drop of alcohol.

These issues are truly, truly important to me. These opinions I challenge are the prevailing opinions that are shaping domestic policy. These opinions are carried with individuals to voting booths. I keep an eye on these threads and, yeah, if I see the comments pile up without a single alternate view offered, I’ll offer one. This is precisely why my presence in these threads is “predictable and boring”. No one else bothers, generally.

I do it because I believe topics this important deserve a variety of perspectives. I’m sorry you disagree.

You know I love you to death, and you also know I agree with about 90 percent of your comments (and appreciate every one of them), but please know that I do not think sun shines from your ass… I see it more like a rainbow.

I thought up a few random examples of the types of comments I usually see. Don’t worry, If I ever single you out as an example I’ll be sure it’s a good one (or at least a humorous one).

My wife & I both drink socially. However, we decide who’s going to be the DD beforehand. Most importantly, we stick to it 100%. And, you’re right, a driver ought to have a 0,0% BAL at all times.

Depending on states, you can be sued. If a host, bar, etc serves alcohol to a person then continues to serve them after them being visibly intoxicated and then they allow them to drive and the person injures/kill someone, the person or family can sue the host.

It’s called Dram Shop.
Person who caused the accident that left me nearly dead was a .32 ( blood draw at hospital three hours after the accident) and spent nearly 12 hours at the bar. He couldn’t stand up apparently but the valet and bouncers gave him his keys to leave. Then my lawyer found out bartenders are given bonuses based on who can “ring” up the most drinks.

Sorry to burst your bubble, John. Neither I, or my wife, or our live-in G/F are heavy, or even regular, drinkers. As it is, our fully stocked bar is mostly for visitors…

Don’t feel sorry for me. They’re both true sweethearts. As an added bonus, both have already gone through the change, and, I’ve never heard of women’s headache cycles synchronizing… *Snicker!*

Athena, there’s been occasions when I disagreed with you in theory on a point you made but have always 1. defended your right to express it and 2. respected how well you presented it.

That said, there have also been many, many times you presented factual information I knew nothing about. There’s also been times you brought up an opposing view that impacted my opinion. I appreciate that. I further appreciate someone who has strong opinions who doesn’t go off the deep end. So your comments, in my book, are more than welcome here.

On a site where emotions can run high, it is good to sometimes be reminded to keep our mind open and our feet grounded. : )

I get it. I’m a wreck survivor, too, and fuck man. I get fucking STRESSED OUT driving some days. Especially when people don’t slow down at unmarked intersections.

My asshole ex used to blow through unmarked intersections because he knew it scared me. And he WONDERS why he’s an ex!