You have likely heard more than you share of sad stories recounting serious injuries or even deaths that have resulted from a drunk driving accident. Unless you or someone you know is hit by a drunk driver, it can be easy to think of these incidents as “things that happen to other people”. Even if you have not been personally affected by such a crash, it is important to understand how many people really are—and that the risk is ever present.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records from 2013, there were 276 fatal motor vehicle accidents in Connecticut. Out of those, 114 resulted from accidents caused by drunk drivers. That represents a jump in the number of drunk driving fatalities from the previous two years. In 2012, there were 100 such fatalities and in 2011, 94 people lost their lives in these crashes. The state experienced its highest number of deaths in auto accidents involving alcohol between 2004 and 2013 in 2010 when 119 people died.
The 114 deaths in 2013 occurred throughout the state with no county being free of these fatalities. Specific data shows the following:
Hartford County experienced 30 drunk driving deaths.
New Haven County experienced 26 drunk driving deaths.
Fairfield County experienced 18 drunk driving deaths.
Litchfield County experienced 10 drunk driving deaths.
Middlesex, New London and Tolland Counties each experienced nine drunk driving deaths.
In Windham County, three fatalities were recorded. You can visit the website of Laughlin Fitzgerald at any time to learn more about the impact drunk driving accidents and what kind of help can be available to victims.
