Police Say Alcohol and Speed Were Factors in Death of York County Man in Collision

Alcohol and speed are a deadly cocktail and there is a strong link between the two risk factors. Virginia State Police troopers say alcohol and excess speed contributed to a crash that killed a 20-year-old man from Seaford in York County on Monday night.

Sgt. Michelle Anaya of the Virginia State Police said the crash happened around 10 p.m. in the 1500 block of Wolf Trap Road. A 20-year-old driver of a 2003 Nissan Sentra from Seaford was traveling north when he lost control of his car, veering into the path of an oncoming Toyota Corolla. The vehicles collided head-on.

Troopers later said excess speed and alcohol were factors in the death of the young man. He was also not wearing a seatbelt. He was ejected from his car and suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News for treatment and later died.

A 17-year-old who was driving the Corolla suffered non life-threatening injuries, reported WAVY.com.

In a 2007 fact sheet, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated alcohol involvement is “prevalent for drivers involved in speeding-related crashes.”  In 2007, 40 percent of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with only 15 percent of drivers with a BAC of .00 g/dL involved in fatal auto accidents.

Alcohol continues to wreck lives on the highways of Virginia. According to the Virginia Highway Safety Office, there were 8,221 drunk driving-related car accidents in the Commonwealth in 2010. Sadly, 247 of these were fatal auto accidents. At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers we sue drunk drivers. We never defend them. Call us at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation today.