Carolina Beach Pedestrian Struck by Drunk Hit-and-Run Driver | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A man with at least one prior conviction for driving while impaired is being blamed for causing a hit-and-run pedestrian crash in Carolina Beach, North Carolina (NC). The collision on Raleigh Avenue occurred shortly before 1 am on September 13, 2015.

 

 

The victim was walking a bicycle down the street when he was struck from behind by the allegedly drunk driver. Police managed to identify the suspect and take him into custody at this home about an hour after the crash. According to a police report quoted by Wilmington’s Port City Daily newspaper, the man now charged with DUI and felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill “admitted to driving,” and had “slurred speech, red glassy eyes, odor of alcohol coming from breath.”

The extent of the pedestrian’s injuries is unclear. Regardless, the incident highlights the dangers posed by individuals who continue to drink and drive despite previous arrests and convictions. Suspending driver’s licenses, requiring use of ignition interlock devices, and even sentencing offenders to jail terms can prove useless against the negligent and reckless decisions of people determined to take the keys despite their level of intoxication.

Stopping those who make a habit of driving while drunk or stoned can be difficult, but efforts to curb the life-threatening behavior cannot be abandoned. My Carolina personal injury and wrongful death attorney colleagues and I have had to help too many victims of DUI/DWI accidents. Whatever keeps even one additional drunk or drugged driver off the road is probably worth doing.

EJL