Fatal Fort Myers Car Accident: Trial Date Set in DUI Crash that Killed Iraq War Vet
A trial date has been set for the driver involved in a 2007 fatal North Fort Myers car crash that took the life of an Iraq War veteran. Ashley East, 26, of Fort Myers Florida, faces 10 charges in connection with a Dec. 8, 2007 car crash on Hancock Bridge Parkway that killed Army Staff Sergeant Danny Beougher.
Charges against Ms. East include DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. Staff Sgt Beougher had been visiting his family over the holidays and was driving west on Hancock Bridge Parkway with his wife, when his Jeep Grand Cherokee was hit by a Ford F350 driven by Ms. East that had crossed the meridian. Staff Sgt Beougher was killed and his wife sustained critical injuries.
A Fort Myers Florida car accident attorney assists the families of people who have been killed in DUI auto accidents in South Florida.
Florida Alcohol Impaired Driving Statistics
Alcohol-impaired driving is the cause of nearly one-third of all fatal traffic accidents in the United States. Some statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)*:
- Fatal motor vehicle crashes where alcohol-impaired driving was a factor amounted to 12,998 people killed in the U.S. in 2007.
- The 12,998 deaths add up to one person killed on the road every 40 mins. due to drunk driving.
- Total traffic fatalities in Florida for 2007 amounted to 3,214 deaths. Of those fatal Florida car accidents, over one-third of the drivers had alcohol in their systems.
- According to NHTSA data, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level above the legal limit of .08 or higher, who were involved in fatal accidents, are 8 times more likely to have had a prior arrest for driving under the influence than drivers with no alcohol.
*NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts: 2007 Data: Alcohol-Impaired Driving
Trial date set for North Fort Myers DUI death
NewsPress.com March 10, 2009
Related Web Resources
NHTSA 2007 Traffic Safety Fact Sheets
