New details have emerged about the serious car accident that hurt a father and his infant child after a car chase through the city of St. Joseph. Police made an arrest after the police pursuit came to an end in a car crash, and the suspect is now being charged for felony drunk driving. This new information showcases the dangers that drunk drivers have on law-abiding travelers.
Police Chase Through St. Joseph Ends in Car Accident
As we mentioned in our last blog post, the situation happened on the night of Tuesday, December 27, 2016. Police across the river in Kansas initiated a traffic stop for 26-year-old St. Joseph native Slade Miller. He had a broken taillight and an improper identification tag for his car. Instead of pulling over, though, Miller fled the scene, crossing the bridge into St. Joseph with police in pursuit.
The chase reached speeds of over 70 miles per hour through downtown St. Joseph. It only came to an end when Miller rammed into a car outside the Walmart on South Belt Highway. This car was driven by a father with his infant child in the back seat. Both the father and the young child were seriously hurt in the crash.
Fleeing Suspect Was Driving Drunk
Miller, who was not buckled up at the time of the crash, was also seriously hurt in the car accident. He was arrested and brought to the hospital, where he gave a blood sample which revealed he was over the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit. Miller already has three convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI), in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
Miller was also driving with a revoked license at the time of the car accident, and had no insurance.
Drunk Drivers Put Others at Risk
This car accident in St. Joseph is just one example of the dangers that drunk drivers pose for other travelers on the road. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 9,967 people were killed in car accidents that involved alcohol impairment in 2014. This accounted for nearly one out of every three traffic-related deaths in the U.S. Countless more are injured.
Unfortunately, many of those who die or are hurt in car accidents caused by drunk drivers are innocent, law-abiding drivers or passengers.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
If you get hurt in a car accident that is caused by a drunk driver, the pain and the suffering that you go through is not your fault. Because your injuries were caused by someone else, there is no reason why you should not be compensated for them. The personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office fight to protect your rights and interests and get you the compensation that you deserve. By legally representing you both in and out of court, the car accident attorneys at the Smith Law Office can ensure you get the financial help you need from those who caused your pain and suffering.
Contact us online or at (816) 875-9373 to get the help you need to make the recovery you deserve.