The DUI fatality rate in the United States has followed a fairly steady downward trend during the past 30 years. In fact, according to the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, the number of people killed in 2012 was 64 percent less than the number killed in 1982. Much of this success comes from increased efforts by law enforcement and changes in state laws.
Even so, drinking and driving continues to be a serious problem in our country and still exacts a heavy toll on our society every year. In 2012, more than 10,000 people died in DUI accidents. Notably absent from these statistics is the number of people injured in these crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, someone is injured in a drunk-driving accident every 90 seconds in the Unites States.
Three of those injuries occurred earlier this week. CBS News reports that Andres Esteban Toro was intoxicated and was driving at 120 miles per hour before causing an accident. Malcolm Lloyd, an alcohol entrepreneur, was sitting in the passenger seat of Toro’s Lamborghini. Police say that Toro lost control of the $400,000 luxury car, slamming into the back of an SUV.
The Car Accident Caused Serious Injuries and a Large Amount of Damage
Toro was driving so fast that his sports car spun for more than 100 yards after striking the SUV. Photos from the scene show the black Lamborghini totaled along the barrier of the road. Both cars received so much damage that it took authorities 10 hours to clean the street.
Lloyd died instantly, and photos show that his side of the vehicle received the worst of the damage. Paramedics rushed Toro and the driver of the SUV, Raul Alfonzo, to the hospital where doctors listed both patients in a stable yet critical condition. The force of the accident was so great that it knocked the wheels off of Alfonzo’s SUV.
At the time of the accident, Alfonzo was on his way home after working a night shift as a bouncer at a nearby bar. Toro and Lloyd were driving back from a party.
If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident with a reckless or negligent driver, don’t wait to call an accident lawyer from our offices. At Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, PLC, we specialize in representing car accident victims and helping them find justice through personal-injury lawsuits. To arrange a consultation with a Cedar Rapids accident lawyer from our firm, call us today at 319-393-1020.
Police Have Filed Vehicular Homicide Charges Against Toro, Who is Still Recovering
Police anticipate filing DUI manslaughter charges against Toro when they receive the results of his blood test. He was in no condition to submit to a breathalyzer or take a field sobriety test, but officers report that he smelled of alcohol. He has faced five driving-related charges in the past three years.
If you’re ready to fight for the compensation that you need to recover from injuries you received in an accident with a negligent driver in Cedar Rapids, call us. At Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, PLC, we have more than 75 years of combined experience helping Cedar Rapids residents.
To speak with an accident lawyer about your injuries, call us today at 319-393-1020.