An early AM crash in James City County, Virginia on Aug. 23 killed two people, according to the Virginia State Police. They believe that alcohol was a factor in the fatal accident. 

The deadly accident killed a 30-year-old male, 17-year-old female, and left a 21-year-old male with serious injuries.

Police in James City County responded to an accident at 1:30 AM on Aug. 23 near Old Stage Road. They reported that they found that a 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis had gone off the road and slammed into a tree.

Two people were dead at the scene, and a third died from her injuries later. The driver was seriously injured.

Our View

Our Virginia personal injury and DUI attorneys send condolences to each family who lost a loved one in this terrible tragedy.

Our attorneys would like to take this opportunity to remind all drivers of the great dangers of drinking and driving. Did you know that nearly 30 people die in the US every day in DUI crashes? That is a death every 45 minutes. More than 10,000 people died at the hands of drunk drivers in 2015. 

If you are in a social situation where there is alcohol offered and you are driving, it is very important to remember that judgement can be affected by alcohol after just a single drink. Even one beer is enough to affect one’s reflexes and decision making. While you may not be legally intoxicated with one drink, you still can be held criminally and civilly responsible for a DUI accident.

Our personal injury attorneys in North Carolina and Virginia have worked on multiple wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits that were caused by drunk drivers who thought that one drink would be okay. If you are planning to drink, you should keep these tips in mind: 

• Always make sure there is a designated driver if you will be drinking
• Ask someone for a ride; this is always a better option than driving after drinking.
• Take the keys from others if they are trying to drive after drinking
• If you are in a party situation and are going to drive, ask for non-alcoholic beverages only. If you are having a party, make sure that there is plenty of water, soda and juice available.

People who have been seriously injured by a drunk driver have legal options. You may sue the drunk driver for damages if your personal injury attorney in Virginia can prove that the other driver was negligent and that that negligence led to your injuries. An injured party who can prove negligence in civil court may be entitled to extensive damages, such as in our recent $100,000 drunk driving lawsuit settlement in Chesapeake.