Young Driver Sustains Serious Injuries in Alpine Crash
A young man was seriously injured in a crash in Alpine when he slammed his car into a tree, according to reports. The accident occurred in the 2700 block of South Grade Road near Interstate 8. The driver lost control and veered off the road, plowing through a ditch and fence to crash into a large tree. Rescue workers broke away part of the fence to reach the victim, who was flown to a nearby hospital by helicopter.
The unidentified driver, who is believed to be in his late teens, sustained very serious injuries, according to officials. The California Highway Patrol stated that they found open beer cans inside the vehicle. The investigation into the crash continues.
Alcohol and Teen Car Accidents
Teens are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure, which may be one reason for the high rate of teenaged DUI accidents. Sources such as the Centers for Disease Control note that studies indicate that about 10 percent of teens drink and drive, meaning that more than one million teens consumed alcohol then got behind the wheel last year.
Young drivers are seventeen times more likely to die in a crash when they have been drinking than when they have not.
The state of California has implemented measures to curb teen drinking and driving, including a graduated license system. However, parental involvement and positive peer support may have more of an effect on curbing teen drinking and driving than other measures.
Can A Teenager Be Liable for a DUI Accident?
If a teenager is under the age of 18 and causes injuries in a DUI crash, can he or she be held legally responsible? While teens are not considered liable for their actions, they can be held criminally accountable in many cases. However, parents may be held legally liable and made to pay damages for the actions of a teen if certain conditions are met.
It is not always easy to hold a parent accountable for a teen’s reckless conduct. The law recognizes that parental control is somewhat limited, so the law requires that the victim show that the actions of the teen were both preventable and foreseeable. Most cases in which parents have been held liable for teen DUI crashes occurred when the parents supplied the alcohol or knew the teen was drinking.
If you have questions about liability in a teen drunk driving accident, contact Dan Gilleon in San Diego. Mr. Gilleon has years of experience in helping victims hold drivers accountable for their injuries.
