Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Chicago law is very clear when it comes to driving under the influence: a driver of a vehicle who is influenced by any intoxicating compound while operating the vehicle is in violation of the law and may be held liable for any damages that result. Drivers who operate under the influence of alcohol or drugs may face traffic charges, criminal charges, and even civil claims for monetary damages brought by victims of an accident. The potential punishments for drunk driving are steep and can include fines and a lengthy prison sentence.
The punishments are intentionally severe because of the serious risks associated with driving impaired. These drivers are less able to make rational decisions, take longer to react to hazards in the road, and are much more likely to cause a collision. With all of this in mind, it is clear that an impaired driver risks the safety of everyone in his or her own car as well as everyone else on the road.
Yet some drivers in Chicago continue to ignore the threats to public safety when they opt to drive a vehicle while impaired. Tests have revealed that a Wednesday morning collision involved a 51-year-old female driver who was on heroin at the time of the crash.
Local police received a call of a car crash in the early hours of Wednesday morning near the 1100 block of West Madison Street in Chicago. An eyewitness said that the suspect was driving a Mitsubishi SUV when she crashed into the witness’s parked car. The driver reportedly struck a second parked car and continued driving on West Madison as the eyewitness followed her. The SUV was speeding, left the road’s surface and drove onto a sidewalk, left the sidewalk and returned to the road where it struck a third parked call, all according to the witness who reported the incident.
Police and emergency crews responded to the scene of the collision where they found the SUV driver in her running car unconscious. She was transported to Rush University Medical Center for examination and treatment. During a search of a bag in the suspect’s car, police discovered eleven foil packages containing a substance that appeared to be heroin. Employees at the hospital reportedly found another five packages of a similar substance on the driver’s person and blood tests at the hospital showed the driver had heroin in her system. Officers also reported that the suspect admitted to using heroin that day when she was questioned by police at the hospital.
The SUV driver was arrested and charged with possession of heroin, aggravated driving under the influence, driving on a sidewalk, speeding, and driving without insurance or a license. Police have reported that the woman’s license is currently suspended due to a prior driving under the influence charge.
Fortunately, it appears that no other people were hurt in this incident, including the eyewitness, but often that is not the case. In the event that an impaired driver causes injuries to another person, that victim may be able to bring a claim for financial damages against the impaired driver and/or the driver’s insurance company.
If you believe your injuries were caused by a drunk driver, call the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and take advantage of a free case consultation. We are standing by now to take your call toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and we can be reached 24 hours a day. Call now and let us help you get a recovery you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Woman Dies After Being Hit by Chicago Red Line, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published December 5, 2013.
Resource:
Cops: Barrington woman, 51, crashes into cars while high on heroin in Chicago, by Rosemary Regina Sobol, Chicago Tribune, published December 5, 2013.