Articles Posted in Boston Drunk Driving Accidents

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A new campaign is underway by a Boston-based company called Cheers to once again make happy hour legal in Boston. happyhour

An online petition for the move garnered more than 8,500 signatures in just a few days. The petition states that when Massachusetts banned happy hour in 1984, it zapped the “happy” out of the handful of hours after work, which instead became “meh.” Massachusetts is one of eight states in the country that bans happy hour, which is traditionally a time when bars and restaurants lower their drink prices to extend deals to those just getting off work. Other states, including Illinois and Kansas, used to have happy hour bans, but recently overturned those laws.

The question is whether a prohibition on happy hour bans actually does anything to reduce excessive drinking or save lives. There is some evidence to suggest that it does not. Also interesting is the fact that many bars and other establishments are actually in favor of such bans because it allows them to keep their drink prices high, and avoid getting into a happy hour price war with the new up-and-coming bar down the street. However, there are others that say they are bad for business, especially in neighborhoods where patrons are more likely to walk or take a taxi home rather than drive.  Continue reading

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Massachusetts state police are beefing up their patrols near highway work zones, particularly in areas with high rates of drunk driving crashes and arrests. The decision, reported by The Boston Globe, comes just days after a road construction crew was mowed down by a drunk driver for the fourth time in just 10 days. roadconstruction2

A state police spokesperson said the problem is not the layout of the road construction zones or the safety measures that are used to protect the road construction crews. Rather, the problem is that people are driving drunk and under the influence of drugs. He called these drivers’ actions “irresponsible” and “reckless,” and is a reflection of the bigger problem of impaired driving, which is amplified to some degree in construction zones, where there may be more obstacles, people working close to the roadside and somewhat unpredictable traffic patterns.

Authorities say they intend to increase patrols, and they will additionally be conducting sobriety checkpoints in and near construction zones. Federal and state grants will help to pay for these additional enforcement actions.  Continue reading

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Survivors of a man killed in a drunk driving accident have been awarded $12.9 million in damages by an Indiana jury.gavel6

However, whether they will actually be able to collect those damages is questionable.

The details of the wreck, according to the criminal case, Barlow v. State of Indiana, defendant was driving with three passengers in his vehicle, including his fiancee, on their way to a casino. Defendant was allegedly driving 80 mph, far in excess of the 55 mph speed limit, when he crossed the center line and hit another driver head-on, instantly killing that driver. Defendant’s vehicle burst into flames, and although defendant tried to rescue his three passengers, all three of them perished. Continue reading

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Sure, they call it the “drive-in,” but they don’t mean it literally. drivein

Police in Weymouth, Massachusetts say that’s what happened recently when a drunk driver crashed into a drive-in restaurant and then took off.

The collision occurred around 2:45 a.m. at Jenna’s Drive-In. The fire department first received word of a problem when a resident awoke to see a vehicle on fire in his front lawn. The resident rushed outside and spotted the driver, looking dazed still in the driver’s seat. The resident shouted to ask if he was Ok. The driver then reportedly “just took off” on foot. The resident said he tried to stop him, but was unsuccessful. Authorities found the 29-year-old walking along a road a short distance away.

He was charged with DUI (second-time offense), and operating under the influence without a driver’s license.

It’s estimated the collision caused some $2,000 in property damage, though thankfully, no one was injured. Continue reading

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Addiction can have a powerful hold on people, and it’s also often a driving force behind so many of the repeat DUI offenses that occur across the country. According to the National Department of Transportation, about one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders. handcuffs2

Beyond harsher penalties within the criminal justice system, repeat DUI defendants in civil litigation are more likely to face punitive damages. There is a strong case to be made for punitive damages when a driver is accused of repeatedly violating state laws and jeopardizing the safety of innocent people. Punitive damages provide further compensation to the victim but are intended to punish the offender.

In Massachusetts, punitive damages generally aren’t available in personal injury cases, no matter how negligent the conduct or how bad the injuries. However, punitive injuries may be available if an individual or corporation engages in gross negligence or willful or wanton conduct that results in a death. This is because the Massachusetts Wrongful Death Act, M.G.L. c. 229, creates an exception to common law on the punitive damages issue.
Continue reading

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A few miles from downtown Boston lies Revere Beach, which was the first public beach in America.  As most people who live in Boston or the surrounding area know, while you probably wouldn’t want to go swimming there, and the beach actually has dirt with grass growing on it, many people like to go to Kelly’s Roast Beef in the early morning hours after hitting the bars.  For this reason and many others, Revere Beach is often the scene of drunk driving arrests and drunk driving car accidents.

sig-40-and-badge-158060-m-300x225Another reason that there are so many drunk driving arrests is that many alleged drunk drivers drive right past the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) barracks on Revere Beach Parkway while clearly intoxicated.  According to a recent news article from CBS Boston, a man was just arrested for drunk driving and other charges after he allegedly crashed into a MSP trooper who was outside of his cruiser to effectuate a traffic stop on another vehicle.  Continue reading

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According to a recent news feature from the Boston Herald, a defendant who was convicted of killing a sister and brother in a deadly hit-and-run car accident in Worcester has just been sentenced and could spend the next 11 years in a Massachusetts Correctional Institute (MCI).

rosesThe 31-year-old defendant had recently pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor (OUI) and vehicular manslaughter.  The hit-and-run crash to which he pleaded guilty resulted in death of a 46-year-old man and his sister who was two years older than him.  The accident happened outside of the brother’s home.  At the time they were hit by defendant, they were taking groceries out of his car. Continue reading

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The 39-year-old victim in a serious drunk driving car crash in Weymouth is finally walking again with the assistance of a crutch.  The accident occurred in February, and at that time, doctors did not know if he would ever walk again. His total injuries included a brain hemorrhage, a dissected aorta, a heavily damaged liver, one broken leg, a shattered knee that had to be replaced, the destruction of his abdominal muscle to the point where it had to be replaced, and a shattered diaphragm, according to a recent news feature from CBS Boston.

traffic ticketHe was walking on the sidewalk when this horrific drunk driving crash occurred, and he was completely run over by the driver before the driver crashed into another car.  When police arrived, they investigated the cause of the nearly fatal car accident while EMTs attempted to stabilize the victim for transport. As part of the drunk driving investigation, they asked the driver of the car to perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests. He was said to have fallen on his face on the concrete while attempting to perform these sobriety tests. Police alleged that he was not only operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OUI), but was also high on drugs at the time of the tragic car accident. Continue reading

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There is no question that this primary season has taken a different turn than any in recent memory.  Between Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and members of both parties constantly making allegations against the other, there is no shortage of negative press on all sides.  One thing that Clinton probably wasn’t thrilled to see was that her brother-in-law, Roger Clinton, was again arrested, and this time it was for drunk driving in California.

shot-glass-1032719-mAccording to a recent news article from CNN, Roger Clinton was arrested over the weekend in Redondo Beach, California for driving under the influence of alcohol.  This arrest occurred just days before the California primary in which she was still in a battle with Sanders, who has pledged to take his fight to the convention. Continue reading

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According to a recent news feature from the Natick Patch, the Massachusetts State Senate is trying once again to pass a bill that would require an ignition interlock device for anyone convicted of drunk driving, and this includes first time offenders. While this sounds like an easy thing to accomplish, there is a lot more to it than one might initially think.

driving9There is currently legislation for repeat offenders to get ignition interlock devices, but this is a plan to greatly expand the current requirements.   First, it would probably be helpful to discuss what the device is before discussing the recent bills.  The device involves the installation of a breath-testing instrument near the steering wheel of the car.  In order to start the car, the driver must blow into the tube and have a score of zero before the car will turn on.  If the driver fails the test, his or her probation officer will likely be notified of the failure, and this can result in jail. Continue reading

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