Alliance with the law is apparently no protection against being the victim of a drunk driver in Virginia. Earlier this month, a driver suspected of being drunk ran into a state trooper who had been guarding a construction project.
The construction was on Gilmberton Bridge in Chesapeake, where the suspect in the drunk driving accident was previously arrested for drugs. Last spring, an undercover drug bust in that area netted the driver in this more recent incident, as well as her brother and a friend. According to police, law enforcement had been observing the woman for some time.
Around 1:30 am on September 12, the driver from Zuni, Virginia somehow bypassed a construction zone barricade and hit the trooper’s car. The policeman’s car even had its emergency lights on at the time of the crash, but the woman still collided with the brightly-lit vehicle.
While the alleged drunk driver did not sustain any injuries, the officer required treatment at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. His injuries thankfully proved non-life-threatening.
The 24-year-old woman whom police suspect of drunk driving recently had police investigate her home, and leave with bags of items from her house. Some of the items tested positive for methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant known for ravaging the body and posing a threat to others.
Drunk driving, also directly threatens other motorists, pedestrians and those working on roadways. Victims of drunk drivers are often able to secure compensatory and punitive damages in a lawsuit. Judges may consider the driver’s blood alcohol content, the direct causes of any injuries, and whether or not the driver knew his or her driving abilities would be damaged by intoxication when determining the appropriate penalties for the motorists and monetary damages for the victim.
Police have charged the woman in this DUI incident with maiming; proving just how dangerous a combination drinking and driving can be, even to law enforcement.
Source: WTVR, “Virginia state trooper hit by suspected drunk driver,” Raymond Hawkes, Sep. 12, 2012