Friends and family of a 14-year-old serious-injury auto accident victim gathered in Irvine Sunday night, the victim remaining in grave condition at a local hospital, according to the Orange County Register. The 48-year-old driver of the Mercedes-Benz and one of the other passengers has been released from the hospital, said Lt. Henry Boggs of the Irvine Police Department. The collision occurred at about 1:15 a.m. when the five people in a Mercedes-Benz collided with a Toyota pickup at the intersection of Irvine Boulevard and Culver drive, Boggs said.
It seems as though multiple parties suffered life-threatening injuries, while a few were able to escape unharmed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this awful auto collision and can only hope they pull through and ensure a speedy and complete recovery.
Driving Under the Influence May Have Been a Factor
One of the drivers, Austin Farley, was arrested on scene under suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol. He was taken to the Orange County Jail and is being held on $100,000 bail. Information has surfaced implicating that this is not Farley’s first DUI offense, and that stricter punishment for his past offenses could have prevented this horrible auto accident. According to the Orange County Register, Farley pleaded guilty in 2009 to driving under the influence. In 2006, Farley pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and refusing to submit to a test for driving under the influence.
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were five fatalities and 840 injuries involving Irvine auto accidents. During the same year, 152 people died and 13, 414 were injured in Orange County car accidents. Unfortunately, many of these accidents could have been prevented, but victims and their families are instead left to wonder about what could have been.
Irvine Personal Injury Attorneys
The families involved have a lot to think about, and a lot of important decisions to make within a limited amount time. If Farley has indeed been previously convicted for a driving under the influence offense, he should never have had the opportunity to have caused this car accident, and all parties involved would have made it home safely. Unfortunately, he was let back on the road, and the medical expenses as well as emotional suffering incurred will be astronomical. Speaking with an experienced Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys Irvine car accident lawyer as soon as possible will help to put victims and their families in a position to get Farley off the streets, and receive the maximum compensation allowed under California law.