Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
Drunk driving is a known killer on Maryland’s highways and surface streets. And as long as alcohol is available to adults there will, sadly, be drunken driving accidents on our roadways. As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, I see reports every week of innocent people hurt, injured or killed as a result of another driver’s negligence.
In the case of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and prescription medication, drivers have a responsibility not to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle when they are impaired. That’s why we have the concept of designated drivers; to help prevent serious and sometimes deadly drinking-related car, truck and motorcycle accidents from happening.
Some might say it’s a matter of conscience, but it should really be a matter of personal responsibility to oneself and the rest of society. Yet there are drivers every day who take the wheel of a potentially deadly two-ton weapon when they know full well that they have had too much to drink. Many get from Point A to Point B without killing someone; others aren’t as lucky. The innocent drivers who are killed or injured are always the unlucky ones.
In some instances, drunk drivers end up dying themselves. Not long ago, police reports showed that a Silver Spring man may have been drunk when he crashed his car along a stretch of US 29 early on a Saturday morning. According to news articles, 19-year-old Kyle Joseph Lancon was headed north along the southbound lanes of US 29 when his Honda Civic hit another car head-on.
Police stated that the Lancon and the driver of the other vehicle, 20-year-old John Park, were both taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Lancon died the following day, while Park was in critical condition at the time of the article. A preliminary police investigation showed that Lancon was at fault, and that speed, alcohol, and the failure to wear a seatbelt may have all contributed to the crash.
Based on court records, Lancon had a number of traffic violations in the past year alone. The man was stopped for speeding in excess of 20mph over the posted limit on three separate occasions. His most recent citation was for running a flashing red light.
Silver Spring man dies in Laurel crash that hurts another, BaltimoreSun.com, October 11, 2010