According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), drunk driving deaths increased in 2015 to 10,265. While drunk driving deaths in certain vehicle types such as motorcycles and semi-trucks were down, fatal crashes involving passenger cars were up 5%. While there were decreases in 2011 and 2014, the downward trend that most hoped for simply has not appeared.
In many states, a DUI incident that either kills or injures others may be upgraded to a felony offense. A California man is facing such charges after a DUI incident, as NBC Los Angles reports.
A Sunday afternoon turned tragic when a driver crashed his van into a crowd of people.
The driver of the van was identified as 38-year-old Peter Goode by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Goode ran a red light, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into another car before plowing into the patio of a restaurant in the mid-Wilshire area. The incident occurred at around 3:45 p.m. at 5088 West Pico Boulevard.
The driver tried to flee the crash scene. Witnesses were able to stop him and hold him until authorities arrived.
Goode was arrested for felony hit and run as well as a charge of driving under the influence.
Nine people in total were injured. Eight were taken to the hospital, one of them in critical condition. Three others were in serious condition and the remaining four were in fair condition. All were expected to survive.
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