As Washington residents know, some car accidents are simply the result of one person choosing to behave irresponsibly. In many cases, drivers who make these choices are under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they get behind the wheel. Recently, two men suffered serious personal injury in a crash that appears to have been caused by a speeding driver authorities suspect was under the influence of alcohol.
According to police, in the early morning hours of a recent Sunday, an officer spotted a vehicle traveling at an excessively high speed on a Spokane roadway. He attempted to stop the vehicle but lost sight of it at some point before he was able to do so. A few minutes later, police responded to 911 calls that had come in about a nearby crash and people trapped in a burning car. Reportedly, when police arrived at the scene, they found a car had hit a pole. The fire was out, but two male passengers had to be extricated from the vehicle.
Police have determined that vehicle is the same one the officer had seen earlier. Both victims were taken to the hospital with critical injuries, one of the men with a partially amputated arm. According to a GoFundMe campaign set up for that man, doctors were unable to reattach the severed right hand, and the victim has been told he faces future surgeries. The 21-year-old driver of the vehicle suffered minor injuries, and police believe he had been under the influence of alcohol.
The driver now faces two counts of vehicular assault as well as a charge for eluding a police vehicle. Reportedly, the victim who lost his hand in the crash is about to become a father, but sadly, he must also recover from this horrific accident, likely due to one person’s poor judgment. Many Washington residents who suffer serious personal injury in this type of motor vehicle accident decide to explore their legal options. A successfully litigated civil lawsuit can provide compensation for unexpected expenses, such as medical care and lost income.