When approaching police cars that have a driver pulled over, it’s important to slow down and try to get into another lane if possible. If it is not possible to change lanes, exercise caution in moving around the scene. Especially at night, if anyone is out of their vehicle and near the road, it might be hard to see that person.
This could be the case in a drunk driving car accident that happened in southeast Houston on the on-ramp to State Route 288 at Yellowstone Boulevard. Police had pulled over a motorcycle rider on the on-ramp for a traffic violation when the police car and the motorcycle were hit by a pickup truck.
– Article By Richard Weaver
According to police, the two officers were going to tell the motorcycle rider to drive to the next exit ramp on the highway, because the ramp they were on was narrow and only had one lane. But it was too late. The police car was sideswiped, and the truck then crashed into the motorcycle, killing its 45-year-old driver.
The pickup truck driver had to be taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries. A blood test taken at the hospital revealed the 43-year-old driver’s blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit of 0.08. The driver is now facing a charge of intoxication manslaughter.
It’s clear that one person is definitely not at fault for this accident: the motorcycle rider. His family will want to know what possessed the pickup driver to drive so recklessly, and they will also likely want to know if police could have done anything more to prevent the accident.
Source: My Fox Houston, “Driver facing charges in motorcycle rider’s road death,” Alexander Supgul, May 24, 2012
