A terrible car accident in New York has killed one pedestrian and injured dozens more. While the investigation is still ongoing, police have made a point of saying that they don’t think terrorism is at the heart of the incident. Instead, they insist that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
While many people will be relieved that terrorism was not at play, the reality is that drunk driving is a far more serious problem in the United States when you only consider the number of fatalities.
Car Crash Injures Dozens
The incident happened in Times Square, one of the most visited locations in the world. A car pulled a U-turn on 7th Avenue and ran up on the sidewalk. Once on the sidewalk, the car drove three city blocks before hitting a light post and coming to a stop, where it burst into flames.
In all, the car ran down dozens of people, killing one and injuring 22 others. Four of the injuries are considered critical, but they are expected to survive.
The driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas, was arrested after the incident. He has two arrests for drunk driving, already.
Police Do Not Suspect Terrorism
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, police were quick to insist that terrorism was not suspected, despite the similarities between this crash and the ones in Nice, France and Stockholm, Sweden.
Instead, the police said that the driver was likely under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash.
Drunk Driving Kills Far More Than Terrorism Does
On average, terrorism has killed a shockingly low number of Americans on a yearly basis. According to the Cato Institute, 3,024 Americans were killed by foreign-born terrorists between 1975 and 2015. Nearly all of these – 2,983 – died in the 9/11 attacks. That amounts to 74 people per year.
Drunk driving, on the other hand, kills several times more people every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 9,967 people in the U.S. were killed in drunk driving accidents in 2014, alone. This amounted to 28 people every day and one person every 53 minutes.
Being relieved that the episode in Times Square was not terrorism and “just” drunk driving is hugely problematic. Drunk drivers cause far more personal injuries and fatalities to innocent people than terrorists do in the United States. The comparison is not even close.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
Drunk driving is a huge problem in the United States, and can have an impact on your life when you least expect it.
If you or someone you love has been hurt by a drunk driver, you need a personal injury attorney at your side to ensure you get the compensation you deserve and that you need to make a full recovery. Call the attorneys at the Smith Law Office at (816) 875-9373 or contact them online.