Just days after a 24-year-old Milwaukee man pleaded no contest to drunk driving and was prohibited for driving for six months, he was allegedly driving drunk again. This time, another driver was seriously injured.
According to police, the man crashed his truck into a guardrail on Interstate 94, in the vicinity of Cottage Grove, left the driver he struck with life-threatening injuries. They say he left the vehicle in one of the lanes, with no lights. The other driver struck the vehicle, went into a ditch and the car caught fire.
The man who is facing several charges related to drunk driving and driving with a revoked license says that he was standing near his truck when the crash occurred. He told authorities that he pulled the man out of his burning vehicle.
The man’s story about whether he had been drinking prior to the incident changed, He tested at .10 blood alcohol content, which is over the legal limit. He’s been released on bond.
Meanwhile, the man who struck his truck suffered a bruised heart, multiple broken bones and injuries to his spleen that required its removal.
Obviously, anyone who has been injured by a drunk driver or who has lost a loved one because someone was driving while under the influence wants to see justice done in criminal court. However, there are also medical bills, physical therapy, burial costs and lost wages for which victims and family members need compensation. A Wisconsin personal injury attorney can provide guidance on seeking that compensation via civil legal action.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal, “Milwaukee man charged in interstate crash that severely injured another driver,” Ed Trelevan, May 23, 2017
