One place where most people would never expect to be the victim of a drunk driver is one’s own home. However, for several residents of Hampton, Virginia, the walls of their house were not enough to protect them from a DUI suspect and his careening vehicle.
The disturbing drunk driving accident occurred on July 19, early on a weekday morning. A middle-aged man was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that struck a parked car. The impact sent the truck veering into a nearby residence.
Thankfully, no one was in the parked car when the driver of the truck collided with it. However, three adults were in the house that also received a blow from the pickup truck.
One of the individuals inside the home at the time of the incident later required transport to a local hospital.
The injuries proved non-life-threatening, but the affected residents were still quite shaken-up.
According to the home’s owner, the incident didn’t appear to be a car accident at first; he thought a plane had crashed into the home. Furniture toppled over and occupants expressed gratitude that nothing worse followed.
Police charged the truck’s driver with driving under the influence as well as reckless driving.
In Virginia, strict rules against drunk driving have given the state a reputation for aggressively pursuing justice for victims of the unsafe practice.
A charge of reckless driving, for example, can translate into a criminal record or even time in jail.
In addition, if the injured victim of a drunk driver can prove certain things in court, such as a certain Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level, he or she may be eligible to receive punitive damages.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reports that most drunk driving accidents happen between 10pm and 6am, when the Hampton incident occurred.
Source: WAVY-TV 10, “DUI suspect crashes into Hampton home,” July 19, 2012
