Any car accident that involves a driver that was intoxicated is tragic and upsetting. But the following story is truly horrible, exemplifying all of the problems and issues that surround drunk driving charges, intoxicated drivers, and the enforcement of the law.
The crash occurred just a few days before Christmas. A mother was driving her car in Gwinnett County when suddenly another vehicle crashed into her head-on. The wreck killed the mother who was returning home from work. The man who was driving the other car had three prior drunk driving charges against him, all from 2011. He is suspected of being intoxicated in this crash as well.
The circumstances here are just heartbreaking, and the sentiments of the woman’s husband of 35 years clarifies the outrage and anger most people will feel when they read this story: “I can accept accidents… But while this was an accident, it was an accident that could have been prevented.”
This is the central problem with drunk driving “accidents.” They aren’t really accidents at all. These are crashes that are caused by people who made a deliberate decision to reduce their reaction time, limit their decision making abilities, and impair their hand-eye coordination by drinking alcohol and then getting behind the wheel of a car.
There is no excuse for this. Drunk driving is an unacceptable behavior, and it leads to many fatal accidents. The perpetrators must be punished and held responsible.
Source: AJC.com, “Man accused in fatal crash had 3 previous DUI charges,” Ellen Eldridge, Dec. 27, 2017
