Last week we covered the fact that there was already a drunk driving car accident within hours after the start of 2012. Drunk driving is a pervasive problem in Nashville and throughout Tennessee. Many people suffer severe personal injuries in DUI crashes every year and yet the number of drunk drivers on area roads continues to remain shockingly high.
It is common for drunk drivers to continue to drive while intoxicated even after they cause severe injuries. One Shelbyville man was recently arrested for his sixth DUI after he was caught going down I-65 at 100 mph, endangering himself and everyone else on the road.
"This guy shares the roadways with your family and my family," said a police sergeant. "And when you're driving 101 mph doing the interstate, that's dangerous in and of itself. When you add in alcohol and wet roads into the mix, it could be deadly."
Authorities say that the 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged with DUI. He has DUIs in three states and hasn't had a legal driver's license in years. He also has been in jail for auto theft, vandalism, burgarly, and escape, but he can't get more than two years in prison for continual DUIs.
"Under Tennessee law, once you hit your fourth offense of DUI, it becomes an E felony," Williamson County District Attorney Kim Helper. "But it never changes, so if it's the fourth or the 14th, it's always an E felony. Which is one to two years in the Tennessee state penitentiary."
This means that drunk drivers will continue to be a threat even after they are repeatedly caught driving while intoxicated. Although criminal law may not provide an adequate remedy for drunk driving victims, a personal injury attorney can help hold a drunk driver responsible for his or her actions through a civil lawsuit. A personal injury action can help hold these drivers accountable for their actions and get DUI crash victims the compensation that they deserve.
Source: WSMV, "Shelbyville man accused of driving 100 mph gets 6th DUI," Dennis Ferrier, Jan. 09, 2012