Recently, an allegedly intoxicated driver’s effort to avoid hitting a deer resulted in serious injuries to his three passengers. Illinois State Police say that the single-vehicle accident happened on County Roads 800 North and 1375 East near Olney. The wreck occurred in the early evening of June 25 and may have been caused in part by the intoxication of the young driver.
The 19-year-old was travelling along the road with his three passengers when a deer ran in front of him. The driver apparently tried to avoid the impending collision, as he veered off to the right of the road. The vehicle crashed into a ditch and came to a rest after striking a tree.
Though the injuries to the driver of the vehicle were not thought to be severe, his three passengers suffered serious injuries. The victims were taken to Deaconess Hospital for medical treatment, though the specifics of the injuries were not detailed. What is certain is that none of the passengers was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
As Illinois police conduct their investigation of the accident, all the relevant details will be accumulated and included in an official report. The driver has already been charged with improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision and DUI. While he will need to confront those allegations in criminal court, the three injured victims are still left to struggle with their injuries.
In similar circumstances involving intoxicated driving, it may be determined that the inebriated driver was behaving in a negligent manner that resulted in another person’s injuries. That means the injured party could be entitled to compensation for damages, including medical bills, lost wages and any pain and suffering that resulted from the crash. The victims in this recent Illinois accident may want to look into their own rights and responsibilities as they seek to recover from what was undoubtedly a harrowing experience.
Source: olneydailymail.com, “Monday night accident results in several injuries,” June 26, 2012