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Repeat Drunk Driving Offender Kills Santa Ana Man

The problem of repeat drunk driving offenders in California has been one that has caused serious concern in law enforcement and drunk driving accident lawyer circles. California’s laws against drunk driving offenders are some of the strongest nationwide, but these are far too light on repeat drunk driving offenders. A fatal accident last week is being traced to a female motorist with a history of several DUI offenses.

The accident occurred last Friday. A female motorist led California Highway Patrol officers on a 5-mile long high pursuit chase on Highway 138. The chase was initiated when a California Highway Patrol spotted the woman driving a Toyota Corolla recklessly. When the officer tried to pull the woman over, she began to drive off. Somewhere during the chase, the woman crossed the centerline on the freeway and crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Camaro. The driver of the Camaro was killed instantly. He was a 46 year-old man from Santa Ana.

There will be questions here about whether this death could have been avoided if police officers had not been chasing the motorist. That is a question that needs to be asked. Every year, more than 360 people are killed in accidents caused by high pursuit chases.  In many of these accidents, victims’ families are bound to ask the question – could this death have been avoided? Was a chase really necessary in this situation?

It’s also important however, to keep in mind that the female motorist here had a history of several DUI offenses before she was involved in the tragic accident. It’s also worth considering if this accident would have occurred at all if the woman had had her driving privileges revoked.

One bill that’s currently in the California legislature would make sure that motorists, who have more than three DUI offenses over their entire lifetime, would stand to lose their driving privileges permanently. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Jerry Hill would allow judges to consider a person’s entire history of DUI offenses accumulated over his lifetime, while deciding whether to revoke his driver’s license. Under California’s current laws, judges can only consider a person’s DUI offenses over the past 10 years while making the decision to revoke driving privileges.

There’s no question that California’s streets are safer when we have fewer irresponsible and reckless drivers. A person who has been convicted of three DUI offenses may safely be called a “reckless driver.” That’s the reason why California car accident lawyershave largely supported Assemblyman Hill’s piece of legislation. It would tighten the noose around reckless motorists, who don’t think twice before getting behind the wheel in an intoxicated state, numerous times.

The bill has its critics, especially among the state’s DUI attorneys who believe that it infringes on a person’s civil liberties. However, the primary consideration for California’s lawmakers should be the safety of innocent motorists on the roads.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us at contact@robertreeveslaw.com.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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