Archive for February, 2012

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28
Feb

Restaurant Owner Who Served Underage Patrons Before Fatal Crash Charged

February 27, 2012

The owner of a restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, has been charged by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission with serving underage and intoxicated patrons just minutes before a fatal crash claimed the life of a 20-year-old man. According to reports from The MetroWest Daily News, the accident happened on October 11, 2010 around 9:30 p.m. at 45 Holliston Street, a short distance from the restaurant.

Reports indicate that the man and two other underage patrons were served between seven and ten drinks from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The patrons then got into a 2005 Dodge Ram Pickup and drove away. Moments later, the vehicle struck a curb and a tree before rolling several times and landing in front of a local middle school. Two of the victims, including the young man who died at the scene, were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle.

The other ejected victim survived after receiving treatment at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worchester for bleeding in her brain, a fractured eye socket and nose, and a broken collarbone, ribs, pelvis, and spine.

Virginia state law allows for restaurant owners and servers to be charged with crimes, and they can be held liable if a patron of their establishment is invoed in an accident after drinking.

The Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley express their condolences to the families of those involved in this crash.

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20
Feb

Snowy Weather Causes Thousands Of Accidents Across Virginia

February 20, 2012

With snow falling across the state of Virginia, state police say they are overwhelmed with accident calls. According to reports from WTKR Channel 3 News, police have responded to approximately 1,000 calls in the last two days.

A spokesman for Virginia State Police, Sgt. Thomas Molnar, said emergency crews have responded to 881 crashes and 456 disabled vehicles in the past 48 hours, and that 230 of those calls came from the Richmond area. Troopers added that they responded to roughly 40 crashes in Metro Richmond.

The high number of accidents has prompted the Virginia Department of Transportation to offer the following tips to drivers:

  • Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter. Be sure to check your:
    • brakes and tires,
    • battery and ignition system,
    • antifreeze and thermostat,
    • windshield wipers and de-icing washer fluid,
    • headlights, tail and brake lights, blinkers and emergency flashers,
    • exhaust system, heater and defroster,
    • and oil.
  • Leave early and know the conditions for the roads you‘ll be on.
  • Keep windows, mirrors, and lights free from snow.
  • Always wear your seatbelt.
  • Start out in the lowest gear possible.
  • Keep a safe distance behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road.
  • Don’t pass a snowplow or spreader unless necessary. Treat these as you would emergency response vehicles.

The Virginia Car Accident Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley hope that these driving safety tips help keep motorists safe during the winter.

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13
Feb

New Regulations Will Hopefully Improve Safety Along Virginia Highways

February 13, 2012

Lawmakers are trying to tighten safety regulations for drivers here in the United States. Two separate reports from News Channel 3 say that representatives and senators from around the country are considering several ways of keeping drivers safer on the road, including a nationwide ban on texting and driving and stricter requirements for DUI offenders who are allowed to drive.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will go before a New York State Senate committee this week to testify that distractions stemming from handheld devices, especially texting, have been found to be contributing factors in a growing number of transportation accidents over the last 10 years. The bill would make it illegal to operate handheld devices, except in emergency situations, while behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Virginia lawmakers are also considering passing a new ruling that would require all DUI offenders to have ignition interlock systems installed on their vehicles. The devices require a user to have their blood alcohol content measured before their vehicle will start. Then, the device requires the driver be tested sporadically while the vehicle is in motion.

The Virginia car accident lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley hope that the new rules will make the state’s highways for all drivers who choose to utilize them. They agree that refraining from drinking and distracted driving significantly cuts lowers the chances a driver will be involved in an accident.

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6
Feb

Child Ejected From Car In Virginia Crash

February 6, 2012

The importance of having your child in a safety or booster seat at all times in the car was shown last Thursday when two children were injured in a crash. According to reports from The Virginia Gazette, the accident happened at around 4:30 PM in the intersection of Hampton Highway and Yorktown Road.

Reports from Virginia State Police say that the 35-year-old father of the injured children did not have the kids properly restrained in safety or booster seats when he ran his 2001 Chevy Malibu through a red light and collided with Chevrolet Sienna. The impact caused the 2-year-old child to be ejected from the vehicle.

Both children were taken to Riverside Hospital to be treated for serious injuries they sustained in the crash.

Under Virginia state law, all children under the age of eight years old must be ride in an approved safety or booster seat when in a moving vehicle. The law is vital in protecting Virginia’s children, as research has shown that seat belts are designed to protect adults, not children, in case of an accident. The belts may be too large to properly restrain a child if a crash were to occur.

The Virginia auto accident attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley ask that all Virginians do their part to keep their children safe by always buckling them into a child safety or booster seat when riding in the car.

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