Authorities arrested a New Orleans police officer last week on charges of DWI after the officer hit a guardrail in his car on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The officer was in his personal vehicle at the time of the one-car accident. After hitting the guardrail, the officer stopped his vehicle approximately one mile further down the road.
He told the arresting officer that a car in front of him stopped suddenly and he hit the guardrail to avoid colliding with the car. The arresting officer smelled alcohol on his breath, and the suspect failed a field sobriety test. In addition to DWI charges, he faces a charge of careless operation of a vehicle.
The fortunate aspect of this incident is that the officer did not injure another driver or pedestrian. Impaired drivers not only endanger other lives, but they also risk their own lives when getting behind the steering wheel. With a legal blood alcohol content set at .08, a driver does not have to feel intoxicated to be over the limit and end up in a car crash.
Visit our firm’s website for more information about car accidents and how they impact peoples’ lives. You can also call us at 504-522-7885 for a free case review with an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident lawyers