A driver arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence was involved in a two-vehicle accident that left two people injured. The California Highway Patrol said the accident occurred sometime before 10 p.m. on Sunday night west of central Fresno on May 23, 2021.
KFSN-TV reported the collision took place at the intersection of Brawley Avenue and Highway 180. CHP investigators say two men in a Toyota pickup had just gotten a green light and started to proceed when a driver in a Chevy Sonic rear-ended them.
The two men in the truck suffered injuries. One of the victims was put on a stretcher and transported to Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno. The patient was complaining of chest pain. The conditions of the victims haven’t been released.
The driver of the Chevy Sonic was not seriously injured. He was arrested by CHP officers for driving under the influence.
DUI Accident Dangers in Fresno County
Fresno roads and highways already see far too many people not showing enough caution as they drive. The problem is only magnified when people begin driving recklessly due to the influence of drugs or alcohol. Their perception can be altered enough to cause them to fail to register stopped traffic, red lights, and even vehicles right in front of them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns drivers each year of the devastating consequences of drunk driving. They examined a decade of accident reports for California and found that over 10,000 people lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes over a 10-year span. In fact, researchers determined that nationally about one in three traffic deaths involves a drunk driver each year.
In Fresno, the frightening consequences of the choice to get behind the wheel while impaired gets well documented each year. Overall, the city of Fresno saw 1,147 vehicle collisions in 2020. Out of those crashes, almost 15% were found to involve a drunk driver. Alcohol-related accidents in Fresno resulted in the tragic loss of 13 lives for the year and accounted for a shocking 68% of the fatalities in all traffic accidents in Fresno across 2020.
The injured victims in these collisions are saddled with the emotional and financial toll a recovery can require. It will be tough for families to accept these terrible consequences when the tragedies could have been prevented by the simple choice by DUI offenders to park their cars and stay off the roads.
Securing Assistance for Victims After Fresno Traffic Accidents
Victims hurt in serious accidents through no fault of their own should never have to cover the costs of their recovery. Healing and getting back on their feet again will be hard enough without the added financial hardships that arise as bills pile up and more and more time is missed from work.
As they go through such a difficult period, California allows victims to file a claim for damages against an at-fault driver’s car insurance provider to seek help. Victims have up to two years from the date of the accident to file. This civil claim can be filed even as criminal proceedings for a DUI suspect continue. A claim for damages would advance separately.
If you or a family member is ever involved in a serious crash be sure to speak to a Fresno attorney about your options. You can visit our page about car accidents in Fresno for more information.
