Personal Injury Lawyers > Personal Injury Blog > Drunk Driving Accidents > Nick Adenhart Drunk Driving Accident: Driver Indicted

Personal Injury Blog

Nick Adenhart Drunk Driving Accident: Driver Indicted

As part of our continued focus on the drunk driving accident in Fullerton in April, which killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, there is more news about the grand jury indictment of the driver, Andrew Thomas Gallo.

22-year-old Gallo was driving a minivan at around midnight on the 9th of April. He was on probation, and was driving on a suspended license. He was also, tragically for Adenhart and his two friends who died, also under the influence of alcohol. Gallo was driving at excessive speeds when he ran a red light and crashed into a Mitsubishi at an intersection. In the Mitsubishi were Adenhart, Courtney Stewart, Henry Pearson, and Jon Wilhite. Adenhart, Stewart, and Pearson were killed, while Jon Wilhite sustained critical injures.

After the car accident, Gallo didn’t stick around to survey the damage. He fled the scene, but was arrested about half an hour later by Anaheim police officers. Blood alcohol test results showed that he had a blood alcohol level of .19 percent. Last week, Gallo was indicted by the Orange County grand jury for felony hit and run, driving under the influence and injury and driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or more.

By the time of the accident, Gallo had already undergone an alcohol awareness program, which was a part of the sentence for a 2006 conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol. The court had ordered him to take an alcohol awareness program, and as part of the program, he had been informed of the dangers of drunk driving. He had also been warned that if he caused an accident because of his drunk driving behavior, it could cause fatal injuries to himself or others. What this means is that Gallo can be charged with second-degree murder, instead of vehicular manslaughter. Persons who cause a fatal DUI accident are generally charged with vehicular manslaughter. However, if the drunk driver had prior knowledge that there behavior could result in serious injuries to themselves or others, and they chooses to drive drunk anyway, then the person can be charged with second degree murder, instead of simply vehicular manslaughter.

Adenhart was a promising pitcher, and had an excellent game just hours before the accident. While a lot of attention since the accident has focused on young Adenhart, we must also remember that there were two other promising young lives that were lost that tragic night. Courtney Stewart was a former cheerleader at Cal State Fullerton. 25-year-old Henry Pearson was a law student who had been working towards becoming a sports agent. These young lives were lost because of Gallo’s recklessness, and his wanton disregard for the warning that drunk driving behavior could lead to someone’s death.

Neck Adenhart’s death at the hands of a drunk driver has received a lot of attention, but every year, thousands of motorists are killed in drunk driving accidents. For these families, life will never be the same. It will forever be altered by the actions of a drunk driver.

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 trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

---