Landers family was awarded with $1 million for their car accident wrongful death claim after losing their son to a drunk driver.

Leaving your kid to one of your most trusted relatives or friends for a weekend or a vacation trip will absolutely bring you peace of mind. However, this verdict must be seen as a warning to parents leaving or planning to leave their children behind for a weekend getaway or a vacation.

The family of a young boy who died in a drunk driving vehicle accident finally won the wrongful death claim they filed way back in 2009. The said drunk driving accident occurred on July 18, 2009. It was when the parents of a 12–year-old Matthew Landers left him under the custody of Randy Sonzanski – a close family friend for a fishing trip in Alaska.

The couple probably gave too much of their trust to Sonzanski, not knowing that the latter would be unmindful of taking good care of their son. Sonzanski being careless about Matthew, allowed the boy to ride on the car of Sonzanski’s friend – Daniel Armstrong upon knowing that Armstrong was already intoxicated by an alcohol.

Don’t drink and drive – that’s the golden rule that Armstrong violated. The worst thing is that the young boy is with him when his car submerged into the Alaskan river as a result of drunk driving. Matthew died from drowning in the river while Armstrong survived.

The police officers who conducted an investigation regarding the incident confirmed that there was a substantial blood alcohol concentration level found in Armstrong’s sobriety test.

Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or more is strictly prohibited in Alaska. According to researches, having a BAC level of .05 may weaken the driving ability of most people. Therefore, 0.08 BAC level was set to be the lawful limit for drivers.

Finally, after several years of waiting, justice has come. Armstrong pleaded guilty and will be facing four years imprisonment. May this serve as a warning to would-be drunk drivers.

Having a quality time with each other might be one of the best moments for spouses. However, kids should never be overlooked in such instances. Take some time and effort in considering to bring your kids too on your vacation trip rather than leaving them under the custody of other people.

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An elderly driver in Pacoima was lucky to emerge without a scratch after his vehicle was struck and severed by a crossing Union Pacific cargo train.

It was reported that the car and train collision occurred at 1:15 A.M. when the man fell asleep behind the wheel and stopped in the middle of the railroad tracks.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department Valley Traffic division, the elderly driver drove his Hyundai Sonata past the caution arm of the train tracks. The impact of the crash ripped the car in half and the rear-half, with the driver still inside spun 180 degrees.

The tracks underneath the train got bent and buckled all the way to Sylmar because of the percussion which caused of wave of force that bent the tracks.

While the man was lucky enough to escape unscathed even after his vehicle was cut in half, the authorities arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving.

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A lot of people underestimate the dangers of drinking and driving. Some, like teenagers simply lack the maturity to make better choices while some, well, despite their age, lack the wisdom to do the right thing.

Take for example, Elizabeth Franck from Windsor who at her age of 46 years old, is still getting caught drunk driving.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Franck was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after driving the wrong way on Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa. It was reported that Franck’s red Chevy Aveo was weaving across lanes, hit several construction cones and even bumped into the center divider.

Franck, after playing bump car, apparently got into more trouble when she took the Airport Boulevard off-ramp and got stuck. She ended up trying to drive northbound in the freeway’s southbound lanes.

Authorities also say that Franck has three prior DUI convictions in the last 10 years. She was driving on a suspended license and was on probation for a DUI offense. She was charged with felony drunken driving and booked into Sonoma County Jail with a $31,000 bail.

Drunk drivers are recidivists, meaning, they are people who are likely to commit the same offense over and over again because of habit. Franck is a classic example, despite having prior convictions and a suspended license, she still got behind the wheel intoxicated.

DUI is already illegal on its own but her act of driving on a suspended license is a crime.  According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 50 to 75 percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.

As mentioned above, these drunk drivers, even after convictions and penalties imposed, continue to underestimate the effect of alcohol-impaired driving unless the results become tragic. Usually, it would take an accident resulting to grievous injury or wrongful death to open the eyes of a habitual drunk driver.

It was fortunate that Franck’s drunken ride did not result to injury or damage but the next time might not turn out half as well. Others, who also commit the same crime might get away now but then again, another drunk driving incident could set off a series of unfortunate events.

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