Many college students across the country, including many in Oklahoma, look forward to spending spring break somewhere warm, usually with the intention of partying with friends while away from school, teachers and parents.
Unfortunately, the spring break for one Oklahoma State University student ended tragically when she lost her life in a drunken-driving accident that occurred along an Alabama beach road.
According to local police, the 19-year-old woman from Flower Mound, Texas, was struck by a vehicle while walking with sorority sisters along a bike path next to a road in Gulf Shores. The 29-year-old driver, a Montgomery resident, was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the crash.
A taxi driver who witnessed that accident stated that the alleged drunk driver was driving all over the highway at speeds up to 55 miles per hour in a 35-per-mile zone.
The Montgomery man was arrested and charged with manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident involving an injury or death and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released on bond four days later.
A statement released by OSU expressed sadness at the student’s death. A spokesperson said the victim’s family was devastated.
As is true with all drunken-driving car accidents, this driver made an extremely poor decision to operate a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol. The toll from such accidents includes injuries, deaths and destroyed families all across the country, including in Oklahoma. The devastation also may include criminal charges, convictions, prison sentences and destroyed lives for those who make such poor decisions.
For families in Oklahoma and elsewhere, a drunken-driving accident can give rise to a personal injury lawsuit, in the case of injuries, and a wrongful death lawsuit, if someone is killed. A wrongful death lawsuit will not only hold a driver accountable, but also may save the lives of other people.
Source: CBS 11, “Flower Mound Teen Killed in Spring Break Accident,” Andrea Lucia, March 21, 2014
