11-Year-Old Critical after Getting Hit by a Drunk Driver
An 11-year-old boy has been critically injured in Lincoln, Nebraska, after he was hit by a drunk driver on Wednesday. Dom Walker was on his way to Culler Middle School on his BMX bike when he was hit by a 6,500 pound truck driven by Jared St. Louis, 24. St Louis did not stop after the accident and instead left the scene. According to reports the truck was travelling at 50 miles an hour at the time of the accident that occurred two blocks from the school.
Don is not responding to commands yet and is unable to open his eyes on his own. His parents, father Dan Walker and step-mother Michele Walker, say that Don has improved slightly but continues to remain critical.
St. Louis is a Special Type of Criminal
St. Louis was charged on Friday with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.
Don’s parents say that it is an uphill battle for their son to recover. He is still on the ventilator and will need plenty of medical attention before he can resume his normal life of going to school, playing with his dog, and completing his chores.
Dan Walker said though his son is likely to forgive St. Louis, he himself would be unable to do so. The drunk driving charge has been aggravated by leaving the scene of the accident.
Drunk Driving and Leaving the Scene of an Accident
Nebraska has strict laws against drunk driving. In this case the driver St. Louis would be considered drunk if he has a blood alcohol content of more than 0.08 percent as he is over the age of 21. However, if the truck he was driving was a commercial vehicle, he would be considered drunk if he had a blood alcohol level of more than 0.04 percent. As St. Louis fled the scene of the accident, the police would have been able to collect his blood sample only later. However, Nebraska law permits this.
By endangering the life of a child, St. Louis now faces a severe penalty. However, if he is able to prove that he was not involved in the accident, he will be able to avoid the consequences of the DUI charges.
St. Louis can expect to face multiple penalties for this drunk driving accident. If convicted he will be expected to pay a fine, spend time in jail, have his driving license suspended, and so on. In this case, because St Louis also fled from the scene of the accident and has critically injured a child his penalties will be more severe. Apart from jail term, he or his insurance company will be expected to pay for the cost of medical treatment of the injured. As the injured is a child, the statute of limitations will be longer as well.
This used to be the Walker family. Jared St. Louis wrecked all of that. But now St Louis’s life will be wrecked.
DUI Defense Attorney
If you have been charged with a drunk driving offense in Nebraska you need to retain a defense lawyer who can ensure that your rights are protected. This is because drunk driving is a felony offense in the state and the consequences can extend beyond a fine. The state has recently increased the look back period to 15 years. Moreover, the conviction will be a permanent record on your file and prospective employers will have access to it.
Additionally, the record will affect your finances in other ways as well. This is because your insurance premiums will go up and you might even find it difficult to obtain housing.
A sterling DUI defense attorney can try and minimize the offense by getting it lowered to a wet reckless driving. This is a lesser conviction with correspondingly lower penalties. However, this reduction in conviction is possible only under certain circumstances. Under Nebraska laws on drunk driving, the police can convict you of a drunk driving offense even if your driving ability is not impaired as long as your blood alcohol levels are above the permissible limits.
