You may remember reading about a sad, fatal DWI wreck on Tuesday in Williamson County, Texas. Aurelio Martinez, 25, had been northbound in a Ford Explorer on FM 973 when he reportedly crossed the centerline and crashed into an oncoming Prius.
His crash killed Donna Stauffer, the driver of the Prius, and Jose Rodriguez, a passenger in the Explorer. Aurelio Martinez and two other passengers in the Explorer were hospitalized. (Kxan.com, 1/3/14) Authorities have arrested Martinez on two counts of intoxication manslaughter, but news stories did not reveal his BAC level.
But two stories about drivers out of Iowa, one who crashed with his passenger, did reveal the drivers’ BAC levels and they were shocking.
A woman called police to report that she had been a passenger in a car driven by Levi B. Carter, 28, when he ran off the road in Iowa City on Friday morning about 2 a.m. and hit a street sign. Police found Levi Carter at his home in the basement, where he was reportedly speaking with people who weren’t actually there.
He told police he had drunk two Bud Lights, but he couldn’t pass a single field sobriety test. And when they gave him a breathalyzer test, the machine read .467% BAC before giving up and re-initializing itself. (Breathalyzers apparently aren’t designed to read above .45% BAC, which is generally a fatal level of intoxication.) Police arrested Carter for driving while intoxicated.
And on Thursday, Chad Harvey, 40, failed a breathalyzer test in North Liberty, Iowa, with a reading of .435% BAC. (Will Lerner, Yahoo News; Iowa City Press Citizen; and KCRG ABC News, 1/3/14) BAC levels from .30% to .40% are considered extremely life threatening BAC levels. A level over .45% will more than likely kill you.
Browse our Board Certified Houston personal injury accident attorneys’ website to learn more about the severe injuries and frequent fatalities that result from DWI accidents, and what to do if you’re injured by a drunken driver. Browse our FAQ section to learn more about the rates at which the body metabolizes alcohol and what the dangers are from high BAC levels. Use our website’s built-in search function to look up information on whatever aspect of injury accidents and wrongful death cases you need. And contact us anytime to schedule a free, no obligation initial legal consultation when you need help after an injury accident.