Drunk driving puts so many people at risk—other drivers, pedestrians, passengers, and of course, yourself.
A chilling reminder of the damage drunk driving can cause struck Anchorage this past month, as an innocent baby nearly paid the price for one woman’s intoxication.
On the first Sunday of 2014, near 88th Avenue, a woman, pungent with alcohol according to prosecutors, crashed into a small group of adults and children in strollers. The driver pinned the three adults and four children against a snow berm, most unable to move.
Two men nearby heard the crunch of the strollers and the screams of the victims—with the situation about to worsen.
The driver, 34-year-old Erica Merrill, tried putting the SUV in reverse in an attempt to flee the crash site. The two men nearby sprung into action, opening the door while trying to remove her hands from the steering wheel and gearshift.
It was then they noticed the stroller with a baby boy pinned under the vehicle, inches away from the tire. If Merrill had successfully backed up, the boy would have surely been killed.
Desperately, the men pulled the struggling Merrill from the vehicle, tossing her into a nearby snow bank. The men then managed to lift up the front of the vehicle, so the baby and stroller could be pulled out.
The boy survived unharmed, but the shock of the accident still hangs over Anchorage. Merrill, drunk and nearly incoherent, almost killed a small child as well as a group of innocent pedestrians.
At Kelley & Canterbury LLC, we were so thankful to hear that the accident did not fatally injure anyone, especially the small child. As car accident attorneys, we frequently see the cost of drunk driving and are continually frustrated with Alaskans feeling they can drink and drive.
To learn more about the details of this story, search the Anchorage Daily News.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, contact an experienced Anchorage car accident injury attorney today for the help and guidance you need.
Through the bravery of the two men nearby, the baby in this case survived as a reminder of the toll of drunk driving. Unfortunately, the victims of a drunk driving accident are not always as lucky.
Photo Credit: Let Ideas Compete via Compfight cc
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