Car accidents kill many Nashville residents every year. One of the most dangerous types of drivers on Nashville roads is the intoxicated driver who recklessly endangers the lives of others. Typically drunk drivers face severe criminal penalties in addition to personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.
One man who killed a toddler during his DUI car accident was recently brought to justice. The man pleaded guilty to his vehicular homicide charges on the eve of his trial. Although the man was sentenced to 12 years in prison, the family of the toddler believes that the justice system failed them.
"He should not have been on the road," the toddler's mother said of the drunk driver. "My baby should still be here."
The vehicular homicide conviction was predicted by many who knew the 23-year-old drunk driver. This DUI accident occurred a mere 12 hours after the man was released from jail. Testimony in a court on the day before the drunk driving accident included a witness who said that the drunk driver would kill someone if he was released. The man was a hardened criminal with at least 59 arrests and had a blood alcohol content around three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.
The 3-year-old boy was killed almost instantly during the accident. The mother said that she could not get out of the way of the man's speeding car in time. Her car was broadsided after the man crossed the median of the road.
"He was speeding, I mean, it was like he was a lightning bolt toward a car," the mother said, "There was no way we could have dodged him."
Source: News Channel 5, "Man Sentenced To 12 Years For Deadly DUI Crash," Aug. 15, 2011