Texas Has Dubious Title of High Drunk Driving Fatality Rate
Recent incidents highlight the fact that nearly ten percent of DWI/DUI occur in Texas, leaving Texas second only to California for the highest percentage of DWI/DUI deaths.

June 05, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Recent Tragic Death of Weslaco Resident Adds to the Tally

Last month, Weslaco resident Natalie Robles was killed in a single-vehicle accident on a San Antonio highway. The driver of the vehicle, Christopher Mireles, lost control of the vehicle while driving drunk and slammed his truck into a light pole. He has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, the maximum penalty of which is 20 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.

Unfortunately, Ms. Robles is far from alone in dying at the hands of a drunk driver. Nearly 40,000 people die each year in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. Almost ten percent of those deaths (around 3,400 annually) occur in Texas, leaving Texas second only to California (approximately 3,500 annually) for the highest percentage of DWI/DUI deaths. Recent statistics show that nearly half of all traffic-related deaths in Texas involved alcohol.

The Dangers Are Clear

Sadly, on a daily basis, newscasts and papers across the country have the difficult job of reporting fatal accidents involving intoxicated drivers. The truly sad thing is that the majority of those killed are not the drivers themselves - they are either passengers in the vehicle or are innocent bystanders who, by happenstance, are in the "wrong place at the wrong time." Getting behind the wheel intoxicated is obviously the wrong choice, but for whatever reason, many thousands of people do it every year, often under the delusion that they are "not that drunk" or since they only had "a couple" of beers they should be fine to drive.

The Penalties Are Steep

To try and combat the prevalence of drunk driving deaths, many states (Texas included) have enacted tougher penalties for DWI/DUI-related offense, even when no accident or injury has occurred. For example, in Texas, a first offense DUI is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by license suspension, a fine of up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.

If an injury occurs in an alcohol-related accident, charges of intoxication assault (a third degree felony) are likely, punishable by a minimum of two years in prison (a maximum of 10 years), and a fine up to $10,000. Should someone die in one of these accidents, a charge of intoxication manslaughter is usually brought. This is a second degree felony, and if convicted, would result in up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Your Next Step

If you or a loved one has been injured at the hands of a drunk driver, or if you have wrongfully lost a family member as the result of one, you have rights. As soon as possible after the accident, you should seek the advice of a skilled personal injury attorney in your area to ensure that those rights are protected.

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