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Sentencing in car accident that injured officer

Wisconsin readers will remember news coverage of a terrible drunk driving crash that injured a Milwaukee police officer. The car accident took place in Sept. 2012 and shocked the local and statewide community. In a recent hearing, the driver responsible for the crash received her sentence in the matter.

The 24-year-old woman who caused the crash pleaded guilty to drunk driving in connection with the wrong-way collision. When she crashed into the on-duty officer, her actions changed the course of his life. He suffered a ruptured diaphragm, punctured lung, shattered pelvis and hip as well as other broken bones.

The officer has yet to return to work following the incident. He and his family have had to move to another house that was better suited to accommodate his needs as he continues to recover. Exacerbating these facts is the knowledge that the entire event could have easily been prevented had the young woman made the decision to not get behind the wheel after drinking.

In this case, the driver’s plea bargain was entered in exchange for the ability to receive a lesser sentence and avoid a trial. While she will still serve 18 months in prison in the matter, the punitive measures resulting from a conviction at trial could have been far more severe. For the victim in this drink driving car accident, additional options may exist beyond any workers’ compensation benefits to which he is likely entitled. Should he decide to pursue a Wisconsin personal injury suit against the driver, he could not only obtain an award of damages, but might also find an additional measure of justice in the case.

Source: wisn.com, “Woman who hit officer in wrong-way, drunken-driving crash receives sentence,” Marianne Lyles, Feb. 27, 2013

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