Sherman, Texas Experiences String of Drunk Driving Accidents

Sherman, Texas Experiences String of Drunk Driving Accidents by Texas Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Justin A. Hill

SaferAutomobiles is dedicated to providing up to date information regarding automobile safety.  Real accidents are discussed on this site as a way to illustrate what accidents are regularly happening on the roadways.  Drunk driving accidents are one of the dangers on the roadways today.  According to MADD, on average, someone is killed by a drunk driver every 45 minutes. In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving related crashes—a decline of 9.8 percent from the 13,041 drunk driving related fatalities of 2007. One small town in North Texas, Sherman, has recently been the location of multiple serious drunk driving accidents.

According to KXII.com:

A string of dangerous and even deadly accidents all across Texoma have one thing in common: Alcohol. And with these drunk driving accidents seeming to be on the rise, residents and prosecutors are saying enough is enough.  “Texas leads the nation in drunk driving fatalities and it’s a reputation we don’t want to have, we don’t want it in Grayson County and we don’t want it in the State of Texas,” said Grayson County District Attorney Joe Brown.  Though the number of alcohol-related accident fatalities is down nationwide from 13,000 in 2007 to 11,000 last year, there have been at least six alcohol related accidents in the past four days in Texoma.  “It just makes me sick to my stomach that we still continue to do this after all the education we’ve received and all the awareness we’ve received over the last several years,” said Ron Barton, who works with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  Just last night 30-year-old Micah Baker crashed his jeep into a house because authorities say he was driving while intoxicated. And two wrong way accidents on Highway 75 Monday night killed one woman and injured several others. All were unrelated crashes, all involved drivers getting behind the wheel after drinking.  Ron Barton lost his 4-year-old daughter and his mother-in-law to a drunk driving crash in 2001. He says these tragedies not only ruin the lives of the victim’s family, but the driver’s as well.  “A lot of people cannot imagine that they would accidentally kill somebody or hurt somebody, a lot of people can’t even imagine that they would end up being behind bars for decades,” said Burton. “But every time you start that motor and drive after you’ve been drinking you are rolling the dice to hurt somebody, kill somebody and spend many years behind bars.”  The DA’s office said they work hard to be as tough as possible on Driving While Intoxicated cases. There can be extensive fine, probation, alcohol awareness classes, and even jail time for a DWI.  “What we need jurors to do to help us is have a tough consequence so people will feel the sting when it happens,” said Brown.  Barton said the ultimate decision to do the right thing and avoid these dangerous and deadly accidents is up to the driver.  “You choose not to do it and you’re guaranteed 100% that you will not end up behind bars for decades, that you will not kill anybody by drinking and driving,” said Barton.  And if you do find yourself needing a ride, calling a friend or family member to be a designated driver is always a good plan. Adam’s Automotive in Van Alstyne, who did the Holiday Haul service, is still continuing to provide safe rides. It’s just a flat rate of $35.00 and they’ll take you wherever you need to go.

If someone you know was injured or killed as the result of a drunk driving accident, encourage them to immediately contact a competent attorney for advice. It is extremely important to do this quickly to ensure that evidence is preserved, statements are taken, and the rights of all are protected.