All too often, an impaired driver causes a crash that leads to serious injuries or even fatalities. A recent hit-and-run by a drunk driver on Interstate 10 near Lacassine set the stage for two other accidents, killing a North Carolina man. All motorists involved in the accident were driving westbound through Acadiana, west of Lafayette.
While crashes on I-10 outside Lafayette are not unusual, this accident is noteworthy because of its tragic outcome, and because of the complicated nature of the accident. While the drunk driver was not on the scene at the time the fatal injuries occurred, he may still be liable for the accident.
What caused this accident?
The chain-reaction crash began when a drunk driver side-swiped a Ford truck with another truck in tow that was driving in the right lane. From there:
- The drunk driver fled the scene.
- The Ford truck stalled.
- A Nissan pickup slammed into the rear of the first truck.
- The Ford slid into the center median
- The Nissan came to a stop in the left lane.
- The driver of the Nissan got out of his truck.
- Another pickup towing a boat swerved to avoid the Nissan.
- It struck the driver of the Nissan, killing him.
A few minutes after the crash, police responded to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 90. The driver who caused the I-10 crash ran off the road and into a ditch near the intersection with Deer Walk Road.
Police arrested the driver on suspicion of drunk driving. The 22-year-old driver refused a breath test; police obtained a warrant and took a blood sample.
How common are Louisiana drunk driving accidents?
According to a news report about the crash, 64 percent of all fatal crashes in 2015 in the area served by Troop D of the Louisiana State Police — the troop that serves Jefferson Davis Parish and much of the surrounding area — involved drunk drivers.
This is more than double the rate reported nationwide by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2014 (the latest year available). Almost 10,000 people died in drunk driving crashes in the U.S., accounting for 31 percent of auto accident fatalities.
Alcohol and other drugs impair many of the physical and cognitive skills necessary to react quickly and make good decisions while driving, making driving under the influence extremely dangerous. For this reason, there are laws in place in all 50 states that set the legal limit for blood alcohol content at 0.08 percent.
How can the Law Offices of Matt & Allen help after a Lafayette drunk driving crash?
If you suffered drunk driving accident injuries in the Lafayette area, the attorneys from the Law Offices of Matt & Allen can help you hold the impaired driver liable for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses. We can guide you through the process required for compensation, from filing a claim to negotiating a settlement. We can even represent you in court if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement.
Call our Lafayette office at 337-237-1000 today to get started.
