Auto Accidents: Drunk Driving

Michelle Pochet (26) was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after rear-ending a Bedford Police unit that was parked on the westbound lanes of Airport Freeway service road shortly before 3 a.m. The officer was working an accident when a 2008 Toyota Corolla driven by Michelle Pochet rear-ended the patrol SUV. According to police, Pochet refused a breath test..

While it appears that no one may have been injured in this drunk driving crash, it points out the risk that police officers face while working traffic accidents. If a police unit can be struck by a drunk driver with its emergency lights on, we are all at risk from drunk drivers. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed by a drunk driver, contact Rachel Montes or Tom Herald for a free case evaluation if you have been injured in a wreck by a drunk driver. Our firm handles cases in Fort Worth (Tarrant County), Dallas and throughout Texas. Our main office is located in Irving, Texas just a few miles from DFW Airport and Love Field.

The body of Ronnie Monroe Keller, 59, was found lodged in the back seat of a car, after being struck while on his bicycle in Grand Prairie. Police say that Mr. Keller was riding his bicycle along the 3400 block of East Main Street, Grand Prairie, Texas at approximately 9:00 P.M. when he was struck head-on. Police say Mr. Keller’s body hit the front windshield, bounced over the top of the car and then crashed through the back window and partially lodged through the back window and onto the backseat.

Police found Vincent Paul Riojas (27) hiding under a nearby parked car and arrested him for intoxication manslaughter, resisting arrest and failure to stop and to render aid. Mr. Riojas also had an outstanding felony warrant on unrelated charges. While police believe Riojas was intoxicated at the time of the crash, they are waiting on an official toxicology report to determine Riojas’ blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash. Mr. Riojas’ bond has been set at $150,000.00.

Police say that as Mr. Riojas headed east on Main Street, he drifted across the center lane and collided head-on with Mr. Keller’s bike. After the crash, Mr. Riojas hid his Cavalier near his Northeast 38th Street home, less than a mile from the scene of the accident, and then fled on foot. Although Riojas’ relatives called police after discovering the body, Mr. Keller was pronounced dead at the hospital.

This case continues to point to the need for tougher penalties against drunk drivers in order to discourage this conduct as the patterns are just too common. According to information from NHTSA and MADD, here are the sobering facts:

1. Texas ranks #1 in the country for alcohol-related traffic fatalities (NHTSA, 2006 and 2007).
2. Approximately 21% of all collisions that occur between the hours of 9 PM and midnight involved a driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed by a drunk driver, contact Rachel Montes at (214) 522-9401 for a free case evaluation if you have been injured in a wreck by a drunk driver. Our main office is located in Irving, Texas just a few miles from DFW Airport and Love Field. Visit our website at www.MontesLawGroup.com to learn more about our law firm and our attorney.

By Rachel E. Montes posted in Auto Accidents: Drunk Driving on Sunday, July 12, 2009

Dallas Police were called to site of a head-on collision near the intersection of Northwest Highway and Sunnybrook Lane around 12:40 a.m. July 10, 2009. The police indicate they believe a driver crossed a center median and hit oncoming traffic head-on. The driver was traveling westbound on Northwest Highway, and lost control of his vehicle in a portion of the road where the roadway curves. The suspected drunk driver crossed the center median and crashed into oncoming traffic. Both adult male drivers suffered life-threatening injuries. Dallas Police are continuing to investigate the collision as alcohol may be a factor. The identity of the victim and of the other driver have not been released at this time.

It is unfortunately not surprising to learn that the police are considering alcohol as a possible factor in this early morning collision. As our previous blog posts report, Texas ranked #1 for the most accidents involving drunk drivers during 2006 and 2007, and approximately 28% of all motor vehicle accidents that occur between the hours of midnight and 3 A.M. involve a driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 (legally intoxicated in the State of Texas) or higher.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed as a result of a drunk driver or driver who is driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of other drugs, we strongly recommend that you contact an attorney to protect your rights. Montes Herald Law Group, LLP aggressively pursues claims against drunk drivers and other impaired drivers who cause accidents. It is important for the safety of all of citizens of our state that these dangerous and irresponsible drivers be held accountable for their actions and to punish them to help make Texas a safer place for everyone. Visit our website at www.MontesHerald.com to learn more about our lawfirm. We are located in the Las Colinas area of Irving, Texas in the center of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. We handle cases all across the state of Texas especially cases in the Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, Ellis, Johnson, Hood and Cooke Counties. In addition, call Rachel Montes (214) 522-9401 for a free, no obligation telephone consultation.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has announced that the NFL is suspending Cleveland Brown’s wide receiver Donte Stallworth indefinitely just days after he pleaded guilty to killing a pedestrian while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Stallworth, 28, pleaded guilty in a Florida court Tuesday to DUI manslaughter charges in the March death of construction worker Mario Reyes. Under terms of a plea agreement, he will serve 30 days. Prosecutors said he began serving his sentence immediately.

“The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told Stallworth in a letter. The letter also added, “While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsibility as NFL commissioner to determine appropriate league discipline for your actions, which have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL.”

Under terms of Stallworth’s plea agreement, he will face two years of house arrest upon his release. He is also required to donate $2,500 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, serve eight years of probation and submit to random drug and alcohol testing throughout his probation. His driver’s license was permanently revoked.

Mother’s Against Drunk Driving applauded the move by Commissioner Goodell, but noted that the criminal justice system which only imposed a 30 day sentence for a drunk driving incident that resulted in a death, missed the mark and shows that every state needs tougher laws to discourage drunk driving. A copy of the press release from MADD concerning this incident is attached to this post.

At Montes Law Group, P.C., we support MADD’s fight against drunk driving. Do not wait until you or your loved one is a victim of a drunk driving incident. Join MADD, and join the fight to prevent further tragedies caused by drunk driving.

and the NFL for sending the clear message the court missed in the Stallworth case: drunk driving is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Commissioner Goodell’s leadership is an example to the nation.