Alleged drunk driver causes collision that injures 13
According to law enforcement authorities, an allegedly drunk driver with no license caused a crash that injured 13 people in Alhambra on Dec. 14. Reportedly, the Los Angeles man’s license had been revoked for a previous drunk driving incident.
The 28-year-old man allegedly hit two other vehicles while driving in a residential neighborhood around 8:30 p.m. The force of those collisions supposedly caused the two vehicles to in turn crash into a group of people who were gathered to look at holiday lights in the neighborhood.
The accident happened at Fremont Avenue and Poplar Drive. According to police, the man crossed the center line into the southbound lane, where he then allegedly struck two parked cars. The group of pedestrians was stated to be on the sidewalk when they were struck by the parked cars. The parked cars also had people in them at the time of the accident. Emergency personnel transported 11 people to the hospital for treatment, and one of the injured was reportedly in intensive care. The alleged drunk driver was arrested and is currently in custody in lieu of $130,000 in bail.
When a driver causes a pedestrian accident, the pedestrian is more likely to sustain serious personal injuries than people who are protected inside of vehicles. Pedestrians who are the victims of drunk or negligent drivers may file personal injury civil lawsuits against the at-fault drivers in order to seek compensation for their losses. Through such a lawsuit, people may recover medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income, property losses and other assorted damages. Civil lawsuits may be filed whether the driver is criminally charged or not. Civil and criminal proceedings are separate matters and require different burdens of proof. Victims could benefit from speaking to a personal injury attorney about their cases.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “13 hit as they look at holiday lights; driver has DUI history, no license“, Joseph Serna and Veronica Rocha, December 15, 2014
