Drugged Driver Crashes Car into Kitchen
So, maybe you’ve run a stop sign in your life or have gotten into a little fender bender or worse. We all make mistakes. Chances are that you haven’t ridden across lawns, crashed through some fences into a pool, crashed into someone’s house, and run naked down the road while ringing doorbells—at least, not all at once.
This was the scenario in a Long Island, New York, town, where a thirty-two-year-old man did just that. The owner of the house heard a loud sound and ran down to find a car in his kitchen with pool water coming in.
He was kind enough to ask the condition of the driver, who replied, “Yeah, I’m alright, though,” before deciding to flee by scaling a high fence rather than climbing through the hole he made—all while stripping off his clothing.
Drugged Driving a Significant Problem
Concerned neighbors saw this scene play out at about 11:30 p.m. on a Thursday and could only surmise that he was disrobing because he had gotten wet during the pool portion of the incident. The man was later picked up by police and identified. He was found to have drugs in his system, but news stories have not yet reported what type.
The driver has been charged with reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while impaired by drugs. While drunk driving campaigns have raised awareness about drunk driving, drugged driving is also a major hindrance to public safety. Different types of drugs can have different effects that all take their toll on drivers. Marijuana, some over-the-counter medicines, and prescription drugs may depress people’s abilities and cause them to swerve. Other drugs, both legal and illegal, like cocaine, can make drivers jumpy and aggressive. Combining drugs and alcohol compounds the problem even further.
New York State has implemented a program employing drug recognition officers, who have completed training to recognize the signs of drugged driving. They will be stationed at checkpoints to try to cut down on this substantial problem that worsened from 2014 to 2015.
Car-Building Crashes Surprisingly Common
As far as people crashing into buildings is concerned, it is actually more common than you might think. The Storefront Safety Council cites that there are, on average, more than sixty vehicles crashing into buildings per day. You may start to notice just how many buildings are protected with metal posts, heavy planters, and other items meant to deflect rogue vehicles.
Long Island Auto Wreck Attorneys
Whether someone causes property damage, injury, or loss of life because of illegal drugs, the law doesn’t consider it a mistake but rather reckless behavior. The guilty party can be blamed for any property damage or injury they cause. Luckily in the incident above, no one was hurt, but there was a hole left in the side of the house into the kitchen, a hole torn in a fence, several people’s destroyed bushes, the ruined pool, and possibly water damage.
Drugged and reckless drivers are responsible for too many accidents, injuries, and damages. If their negligence has affected you or your family, call us at 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) to speak with a personal injury attorney from Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP. The consultation is free and carries no obligation to continue—just answers and sound legal advice.
