Pickup Truck Driver is Charged with DUI and Manslaughter over the Death of Pedestrian in Newport News

Earlier today my colleague John Cooper wrote about the tragic death of a pedestrian in Newport News overnight on Warwick Boulevard.

I was disturbed to later learn the driver who mowed down this man in his pickup truck was subsequently charged with driving under the influence.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol (3rd offense) and involuntary manslaughter, reported ABC13.

He is presently being held in the Newport News City Jail. The victim’s name has not been released. My thoughts as a Newport News personal injury lawyer are with his family.

ABC13 reported on how the man was convicted of first offense DUI in York County in March 2010 in the wake of a 2009 accident.

Holly McPherson of the Newport News Police Department said the crash took place on Warwick Boulevard just before 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning. The man who hit the pedestrian, called police after the incident.

A preliminary police investigation found the man was walking on the poorly lit side of the road from the Ft. Eustis off-ramp onto the southbound lanes of Warwick Boulevard. The driver was heading south on Warwick Boulevard.

If the pickup truck driver was driving under the influence, the family of the victim has a very strong case to file a wrongful death action against the driver’s insurance policy. There is never any excuse for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers we sue drunk drivers. We never defend them. If you have lost a loved one due to the fault of a drunk driver, call Cooper Hurley at 757.455.0077 or see Cooperhurley.com.