Colorado alcohol-related fatalities may have dropped by 53% over the past 13 years, but there are still people killed on Colorado roads every year because someone made the choice to drive drunk.
Public awareness campaigns are promoted by law enforcement and other organizations to teach people how to spot drunk drivers when they’re on the roads, and people can and do call in suspected drunk drivers when they see them. Unfortunately for one man, he decided to do more than call in a driver to the police – he took it one step further and lost his life trying to stop a Colorado drunk driver.
Police were called out to a domestic disturbance and arrived to find a woman had crashed her vehicle into a tree with her partner on the hood. He had jumped on the hood of the car to try to stop her from driving under the influence (DUI), and after she crashed he suffered critical injuries and died.
The driver was charged with suspicion of vehicular homicide, DUI, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. In addition to the penalties she’ll receive for vehicular homicide and other charges, violating Colorado DUI laws will add additional fines, longer license suspensions, and if she’s ever licensed to drive again, a mandatory ignition interlock device.
It’s a tragic outcome, and all because someone made the choice to drink and drive. If you think you’ve spotted a drunk driver, here are a few tips from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to keep you safe:
- Don’t approach the vehicle. Stay as far away from it as you possibly can
- If you are driving beside someone you suspect of drunk driving, don’t try to pass the vehicle or signal the person inside
- Obtain the license plate, make, and model of the vehicle. If you have a passenger, ask them to write it down for you. If you don’t, try to memorize the plate number
- Safely pull over and call 911. They’ll ask for the location of the vehicle and a description
For more information on how Colorado is working to keep drunk drivers off the roads, take a look this post on what happens if you are in an alcohol-related crash in Colorado.