Drunk Driver Crashes into Student Driver and Teacher on Brownswitch Road in Slidell, Louisiana, (LA)

SLIDELL, LA- Wbrz.com writes that a drunk driver crashed head-on into a driving school car this week in Slidell. The incident took place in the evening when the student, identified as a seventeen-year-old and the instructor, were heading eastbound on Brownswitch Road.*

The student was reportedly attempting to merge into a roundabout when a Jeep heading the wrong direction at around 50 to 60 miles per hour struck the car head-on. The driver of the Jeep, identified as a 34-year-old man, then also collided with a 2018 Toyota Highlander. 

The car carrying the teen and instructor ignited after the impact. Fortunately, witnesses were able to extract the two occupants from the burning car. The teen and the instructor both suffered severe injuries in the wreck, including head trauma and multiple broken bones. 

The driver in the Highlander suffered injuries as well. The allegedly drunk motorist was not harmed in the impact. 

Police have now filed multiple charges against the 34-year-old, including driving while drunk, driving on a suspended license, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and first-degree negligent injury. 

Images from the scene show a small driving school vehicle with severe damage to its front end. An SUV appears to have damage to its passenger side, and the front of the Jeep is damaged. The Jeep looks to have landed partially on the front of the SUV, where it is resting on its passenger side. 

Drunk drivers may be less of a problem on the road than they were decades ago, but these motorists are still a threat to everyone's safety. Each year, more than 10,000 people die in crashes caused by drunk motorists. In 2018, these entirely preventable crashes killed 10, 511 individuals. Even drivers who have blood alcohol contents below .08 percent lose their ability to safely operate a car. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.wbrz.com/news/student-driver-and-instructor-in-critical-condition-after-head-on-collision-police-arrest-suspected-impaired-driver/

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving