According to a recent news report from the Boston Globe, a total of six people were injured in what is alleged to be a drunk driving crash that occurred in Bourne, Massachusetts. Authorities believe that there were several factors that led to five of the six victims being severely injured, including alcohol, speeding, and inclement weather. Police also alleged the 18-year-old at-fault driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of what they are classifying as a mass casualty accident.

mmsIFfoWitnesses say a Toyota Camry containing five, underage male occupants from the town of Sandwich, Massachusetts was traveling at a speed that was not safe for the snowy weather.  As they were driving down Route 6, police believe the driver of the Camry lost control of his vehicle while trying to navigate a sharp turn.  At this point, he crossed over into the lane of oncoming traffic and crashed into a Toyota Corolla.    Continue reading

There is no question there is an increasing amount of support for tougher drunk driving laws in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  This is not surprising when we consider that more Americans have lost their lives in drunk driving accidents than they have in all recent wars combined. This means that there are lots of victims of drunk driving accidents, and a lot of family members who lost a loved one as a result of a serious drunk driving crash.

driving1-225x300A recent feature from the Lowell Sun looks at an effort now being made to increase the penalty for drunk driving in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  This new proposed law deals with the use of ignition interlock devices being installed on cars. The devices require a vehicle operator to blow into a breath test tube to verify he or she is not intoxicated.  The test is required to start the vehicle, and it is also required at random points while driving. The reason for the random tests is that some drunk drivers will have a sober person blow into the tube to start the car, so they can operate the vehicle. Continue reading

In what is a strange but common scene in the greater Boston area, a man is lying in his hospital bed as a defense attorney, court clerk, and even a judge in a full black robe, conduct an arraignment.  An arraignment, also known as first session in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the first court hearing for a defendant in misdemeanor and most felony cases.  This is where there is a formal reading of the charges, and the judge decides if the defendant will be held on bail or released.

1316049_untitled-300x200While it seems strange to hold court and do an arraignment in a hospital room, the actual reason for this has to do with departments not wanting to spend money that they don’t have. When a defendant is arrested, before he or she is arraigned, the police must maintain custody unless a judge or bail commission conducts an initial arraignment.  This means that police must post officers outside of the defendant’s hospital room 24 hours a day until the arraignment occurs.  Once defendant is arraigned, custody transfers to the bail officers during court and then to the county sheriff.  The police complain about paying overtime, so they get the courts to come to the hospital. Continue reading

According to a recent news feature from the Detroit Free Press, Marcus Glenn, a well-known artist from Detroit, was just arrested after what was alleged to be a fatal drunk driving car accident.

dJCgskAuthorities say defendant was driving his vehicle with his wife seated in the passenger seat when he somehow lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail at a high rate of speed.  When first responders arrived at the scene, they found defendant’s wife in serious condition, as the car had hit the guardrail on the passenger side of the vehicle where she was seated.  Continue reading

According to a recent news feature from the Huffington Post, a 76-year-old man was arrested in 2014 on what is allegedly his 10th drunk driving charge.  While, if the allegations are true, being arrested 10 times for driving under the influence of alcohol is news enough, but that is not why this incident is making headlines.

fish-and-chips-1325534-300x225Authorities say they pulled over defendant after allegedly observing his pickup truck cross the centerline of a highway.  When they pulled him over and approached the vehicle, deputies say they immediately noticed the smell of alcohol on defendant’s breath.  At this point, officers asked him to exit the vehicle, so they could administer a set of standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs). Continue reading

To the victims of a drunk driving accident, and the victims’ families, being involving in the accident can have long lasting consequences.  It is hard to quantify how each victim’s life is changed and how deeply a family can be hurt by the irresponsible actions of those who decide to drink to the point of intoxication before getting behind the wheel.

sig-40-and-badge-158060-m-300x225While is difficult to look at drunk driving in terms of number of incidents and accidents, funding for campaigns to curb drunk driving in Massachusetts often come down to a numbers game, so, to that end, the Hingham Patch has recently published a report from the Hingham, Massachusetts Police Department detailing their drunk driving arrest numbers for last year. Continue reading

According to a recent news feature from WCVB Boston, police have just arrested a school bus driver who allegedly crashed into a utility pole when his bus was loaded with students.  Police have said driver allegedly admitted to being under the influence of Nyquil and Dayquil, which he had consumed earlier in the day than when he was behind the wheel of his school bus.

mWypFbU-300x224Prosecutors said that driver allegedly had a blood alcohol content of more than four times the legal limit for someone driving a commercial motor vehicle. It should be noted that while blood alcohol limit for driving a private vehicle is .08 grams of ethanol per 100 milliliters of blood, a driver with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) must maintain a BAC of .04. Continue reading

Across the nation, authorities are trying everything reasonable and within their power to reduce the number of serious and sometimes fatal drunk driving accidents that occur each year. To get an idea of how serious a problem drunk driving in America is, we can look to statistics to show there were more Americans killed in drunk driving accidents than were killed in all wars in which the United States was involved.

beersThese campaigns have different names, such as drive hammered, get nailed, or sober or slammer. A drive sober or get pulled over campaign has been used in Bedford, Massachusetts, according a recent news feature from the Bedford Patch. The most recent campaign was run from early December of last year to January 2, 2016. This time frame was obviously chosen to cover the entire holiday season, which, as statistics have shown, is one of the worst times of year in terms of serious drunk driving accidents, including fatal car crashes. Continue reading

According to a recent report form WCVB Boston, a 52-year-old woman has been arrested following a deadly car accident that occurred in Hannover, Massachusetts. Authorities have said defendant was operating her motor vehicle while she was under the influence of powerful prescription medication.

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Allegedly, at the time of the fatal drugged driving accident, defendant had Adderall, Xanax, Methadone, and Valium in her blood, as revealed by chemical testing. The victim of this fatal drugged driving accident was a 32-year-old nurse who was out running as part of her training for the upcoming Boston Marathon. Continue reading

Many people do not realize the total extent of the consequences of a decision to get behind the wheel while drunk. Some people are not worried at all and engage in this risky behavior on a regular basis. Others are worried about the possibility of getting arrested but do not feel a first offense drunk driving conviction is that big a deal.

prison-1431136-mAs we can deduce from the many anti-drunk-driving ads we see on TV and on billboards, if potential drunk drivers are afraid of anything, it is of getting arrested and having to spend thousands of dollars on a defense. What people do not seem all that worried about is getting in a serious drunk driving car accident that could result in serious injury or death. This is, of course, the real risk of getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle when intoxicated. Continue reading

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