Illinois driver hits trifecta: impaired, distracted, speeding

An Illinois man northeast of Edwardsville was a confluence of some of the worst things a person can do while behind the wheel. According to a recent news article, the man was driving his car “at a high rate of speed” while texting and while impaired. It should be no surprise that his Chevy Cobalt slammed into a stopped vehicle at an intersection and flipped onto its roof.

What is surprising is that this distracted driving and drunk driving crash resulted in only minor injuries to the Cobalt driver. The other driver suffered no injuries, according to the news report.

The 25-year-old Palos Heights man has been charged with driving under the influence, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and using a phone while driving. A law enforcement spokesperson said the man might face more charges in the crash, depending on the results from pending toxicology tests.

According to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, statistics show that about 30 percent of all traffic fatalities in our state in 2017 were in alcohol-related crashes. White said there were 330 drunk driving fatalities that year.

Of course, impaired driving was only one of the Cobalt driver’s reckless errors. In addition to be intoxicated, he was messing around with Snapchat at the time of the collision.

The federal government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Injury Center says that each day, nine people are killed and more than 1,000 others are injured in wrecks involving a distracted driver. So again, both of the drivers in this incident were fortunate to escape alive and without serious injuries.

Those who are less fortunate should speak to an Edwardsville attorney experienced in obtaining justice and compensation for those injured in crashes caused by distracted or impaired drivers.