Suspected Drunk Driver Injures Police Officer in Georgetown, South Carolina
GEORGETOWN, SC- Wspa.com writes that a driver injured a police officer late last week in a crash that investigators believe involved alcohol. The suspected drunk driver rear-ended the police officer’s cruiser on Fraser Street in Georgetown. The officer was providing assistance to a disabled motorist when the other driver collided with the police vehicle in front of a Walgreens.*
Responders rushed the injured officer to the Georgetown Memorial Hospital. Reports did not indicate the nature or severity of the injuries the sergeant sustained in the incident. The other driver was arrested, and officers suspect that the individual was driving under the influence at the time of the crash.
South Carolina Has the Second-Highest Number of Drunk Driving Deaths in the Nation
In recent years, South Carolina has performed poorly when it comes to preventing drunk driving incidents. According to some reports, the state has the second-highest number of drunk driving deaths in the nation.
Per 100,000 residents, South Carolina saw nearly eight deaths caused by drunk drivers. Only Montana had a higher rate of nearly nine deaths per 100,000 people. Police say that tourism leads to some of the state's drunk driving issues. People traveling to the state for vacation may be increasing the number of DUI crashes. Out of all vehicle-related deaths in the country, about one in every three involved a drunk driver.
Efforts to reduce the number of fatal alcohol-related crashes include educating bartenders and servers about liability for serving to underage persons or of overserving patrons. Drivers are also being sent to alcohol and drug education programs to learn about the risks associated with impaired driving. Police run a “Sober or Slammer” initiative during high-risk times of the year in an effort to deter this dangerous behavior.
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 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.wspa.com/news/georgetown-police-officer-injured-when-hit-by-driver-charged-with-suspicion-of-dui/ and https://www.wmbfnews.com/story/38885574/south-carolina-ranks-2nd-in-nation-for-drunk-driving-deaths/