Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Troopers in Danger of Drunk Drivers
According to an article in The Enterprise, drunk or otherwise impaired drivers have caused a number of serious accidents involving Massachusetts State Troopers on the state's roadways recently. Rick Brown, the president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, stated in the article that drunk driving appears to be on the rise and the dangers out on the Commonwealth's streets and highways haven't been this high in decades.
Brown reports that part of the problem is that there simply aren't enough troopers out on the state roadways to prevent these accidents before they happen. There are just under 2,100 troopers right now, which is about 500 less than what the state had in 2008. By the start of summer of this year, about 50 or 60 officers are set to retire, which will bring the state's number of troopers down to just over 2,000. There have not been any new troopers added to the State Police force since 2006, which makes it the longest span of not hiring troopers for the state since the 1940s.
In order to offset the budget constraints of the Commonwealth while still protecting troopers, the legislature passed the Move Over Law in March of 2009, which requires Massachusetts drivers to either reduce their speed or, better yet, change lanes for police and emergency providers (medical and otherwise) on the roadways. In just over a year, over 4,500 drivers received citations for not moving over or slowing down.
Even with the Move Over Law in effect, drunk drivers will unfortunately continue to make the dangerous mistake of getting behind the wheel of a car. Because of this, Brown has been in talks with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) about the use of crash trucks at construction sites, to increase both construction workers' and troopers' safety while on details.
Crash trucks basically act as barriers to the work site and other drivers, especially drunk and reckless drivers. The trucks hold barrels that are typically filled with water or sand so that the impact can be absorbed more effectively, in the event of a crash. Hopefully these crash trucks will become part of construction sites and other work zones on the state's highways to better protect those who protect us.
Troopers Recently Injured by Drunk Drivers
Since the summer of 2010, State Police estimate that there have been about 11 serious accidents and 1 fatal crash where a drunk, impaired or reckless driver crashed into a trooper's cruiser. In these instances, the trooper had either stopped a car for a violation, was responding to a crash that was called in, or was working on an assigned detail.
Here are some of the most recent accidents involving impaired drivers and State Troopers:
- An East Bridgewater woman was drunk when her car crashed into a trooper's cruiser parked on I-93 in Randolph at a construction site around 2:30am last Friday, seriously injuring the trooper inside
- A trooper was struck on the Southeast Expressway last month by a Milton drunk driver, who registered a blood alcohol concentration (BAD) level of 2 ½ times the legal limit of .08
- Last month, a reckless driver struck and injured a trooper in Framingham
- Also in March, 2 State Troopers were seriously injured when they were rear-ended by an impaired driver on Route 128 in Braintree
- An alleged drunk driver crashed into Sgt. Douglas Weddleton's cruiser on I-95 in Mansfield last summer. Weddleton, 52, of Brockton and father to 4 children, died from his injuries in the crash
When to Seek Legal Help from a Boston Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured by a drunk driver in a motor vehicle accident in Massachusetts, BEFORE you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer, contact the Boston motor vehicle accident lawyers with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options. You may have the right to sue the drunk driver who is responsible for your injuries.
Our car accident lawyers have 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for our clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases. Call (888) 208-1695 to receive your free legal consultation.
And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.
DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 1-888-208-1695, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.
