South Dakota Police Arrest Woman Who Sets State Record for Drunkenness
Driving Under the Influence is an extremely common source of both criminal and personal injury liability. So common, in fact, that routine DUI cases do not make headlines and go relatively unnoticed. However, when a driver possibly sets the state record for drunkest driver apprehended, it becomes newsworthy indeed. That is unfortunately what may have been accomplished by a South Dakota woman last month when police found her passed out in a stolen delivery van and arrested her. The woman then registered a blood-alcohol content of .708, nearly ten times the legal limit. State chemists believe it is the highest BAC ever recorded in the state, surpassing the previous high of .56.
Scientific studies have shown that a blood alcohol content of .40 % is the blood alcohol content that would actually be considered lethal for at least half of the human population. Thus, it is actually surprising that the lady was alive when she was discovered in the van, but not at all surprising that she had passed out and was unable to drive. Had she later woke up and attempted to drive while still intoxicated, she very likely could have killed herself or someone else.
Around this time of year, DUI is increasingly common and results in scores of serious injuries and deaths across the country. Police generally set up checkpoints to catch drivers who may be driving under the influence, but they cannot catch everyone and those who are left unchecked are sometimes responsible for serious injuries and death. Responsible drivers who are attempting to travel from one place to another for the holidays can find themselves the unfortunate victims of the decision to drive drunk and may lose their lives or suffer devastating injuries. Victims of DUI-related wrecks will be able to sue the driver responsible for the wreck under negligence, wrongful death, or other forms of recovery depending on the circumstances surrounding the injury. Drivers need to remember to drive responsibly in order to avoid causing such accidents and being held responsible.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091231/ap_on_fe_st/us_record_intoxication
