Trial has begun on a case involving a Texas teenager accused of a drunk driving accident that killed four people. The 16-year-old teenager drove his truck into a group of people standing outside a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. In court, the teenager admitted to the drunk driving accident charges and being responsible for the deaths of the four people.
Test results showed that the teenager had three times the legal alcohol limit and had Valium in his system. He was driving 70 miles per hour when he crashed his truck into the side of the road, killing the people who were standing there. After the accident, the teenager was described as being belligerent and uncooperative when he was questioned by the paramedics.
The judge in the case will determine if the teenager is guilty of manslaughter. He or she will decide whether the teen will get probation or face jail time. Attorneys defending the teenager are arguing for probation as penalty. They say that the teenager’s improper up-bringing has led to his alcohol abuse and drug use.
Among those who were killed in the drunk driving accident in Texas were a young woman and a youth pastor who was a father of three kids. They were surely at the wrong place at the wrong time. It is dangerous to drive drunk because many lives are at stake — the driver’s life and many innocent victims. Our court systems help families cope with loss during drunk driving accidents and bring justice against those who are responsible for the death of loved ones. The families of the victims may wish to file wrongful death claims in order to receive financial restitution to help them through this difficult time.
Source: CBS DFW, Trial Begins For Drunk Driving Teen That Killed Four, Joel Thomas, Dec. 4, 2013