Drunk driving accidents are always inexcusable. Because there is no reason to ever drive while intoxicated. But it is easy. You stop on the way home from work with some coworkers and have a drink or two. Or three. And then you attempt to drive home.
You may feel a little buzzed, but you have done it before and know you can handle it. And many times, you will manage. And you don’t want to wait for a friend to drive you home or pay the cost of a cab, because, you know, it’s so expensive.
But what if you run a red light, because your reaction time is slowed and you simply didn’t comprehend that the light had changed. And what if a North Carolina state trooper or a Wilmington police officer happens to be in the other lane and witnesses your driving through the intersection. Suddenly, there are flashing red lights in your rear-view mirror, and it slowly dawns on you that the trooper wants you to stop.
How much will that cost you? You will need to hire a defense attorney, you will have to pay fines, deal with a suspended or revoked license, make arrangements to get to work without a car, and pay for higher insurance premiums when you eventually have your license reinstated and are allowed to drive a vehicle once again.
However, that expense, which could top $10,000, would look good and you would eagerly pay it given other alternatives resulting from driving drunk.
In running that red light, what if instead of passing harmlessly through the intersection, what if you struck a minivan, carrying two or three children? And the force of your crash was so severe, because you were speeding, that there were no survivors from the collision.
When it comes to drunk driving crashes, there are some that carry a price too terrible to pay.
