Alcohol and speed can be a dangerous combination.  A Los Angeles family found this out the hard way after their car was involved in a crash allegedly caused by a drunk and speeding driver.  The accident occurred in East Los Angeles County this week on a road between La Puente and the City of Commerce. 

According to preliminary investigations, a white sedan carrying a family of four was struck by a Jeep Cherokee traveling at high speeds.  The man, who was driving the white sedan, was killed in the accident.  At least four people, including the man's children and a woman in the car, were seriously injured in the crash.  Damage from the accident was severe, and the survivors had to be extricated using the Jaws of Life. There was only one passenger in the Jeep Cherokee, and he's expected to survive his injuries.

Traffic investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department say they have no idea yet what speeds the Jeep Cherokee was traveling at the time of the crash, but the speed was high judging from the impact of the accident.  The impact broke the wheel assembly and the axle of the Jeep Cherokee, and instantly killed the driver of the sedan.  The drunk driver has now been arrested. 

It's not uncommon to see speed being involved in accidents caused by drunk driving.  Driving under the influence severely impairs a person's judgment, and his ability to make rational decisions.  It leads to lack of inhibition and recklessness, and the person may indulge in dangerous behaviors, like driving at high speeds.  Speeding and alcohol use are two of the most common causes of accidents.  Nationwide, speeding is the number one killer, contributing to 31% of all accident fatalities.  It is followed closely by intoxicated driving. 

Strong efforts by auto safety advocates and Los Angeles car accident lawyers to bring awareness to this problem, has led to a decline in the number of people being killed every year in alcohol-related accidents over the past decade.

Rollover accidents are some of the most dangerous of auto accidents. They only makeup of a small percentage of the total number of motor vehicle accidents in the United States, but comprise a large number of fatalities.

In 2002, only 3% of accidents involving passenger cars, pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, were rollovers. However, these accidents resulted in 33% of the total number of fatalities that year. That same year, more than 10,000 people died in rollover accidents. On an average, approximately 8,000 people are killed every year in rollover accidents.

Often, rollover crashes are caused because of hydroplaning, a tire blowout, loss of control of the car and other such causes. There are some things that motorists can do to prevent rollover risks.

The important thing to do is not to panic when you feel like your car is going off the road, or that you're losing control. Experts advise you to gradually reduce speeds if your vehicle begins to go off the road, and slowly attempt to steer it back onto the road. Make sure that your tire pressure is optimum. Avoid overloading your vehicle.  Check the maximum load limit which will be included in your vehicle user’s manual. Check tire treads often. A tire blowout is very often the cause of rollover accidents.

If you're in the market for a new car, consider models that come with Electronic Stability Control systems. These technologies have proved to be very effective in preventing rollover crashes. These technologies help drivers retain control of the vehicle by steering the car in the intended direction.

Of course, the simplest thing you can do to prevent the risk of injury during a rollover, is the one Los Angeles car accident attorneys never tire of stressing. Always wear your seatbelts. Approximately 70% of all fatalities in rollover accidents were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Ejection is a major cause of serious or fatal injuries during rollovers.

Check if your car has side-impact airbags that can be deployed as rollover airbags. Not all side impact airbags are deployed during a rollover. Check with your dealer to see if you have this feature. Auto safety features like these can dramatically reduce your chances of injuries during a rollover.

A Chicago native has been charged with child endangerment, having run on foot from her car following an accident. In fleeing, she left behind a 3-year-old boy in the vehicle, according to police.

The resident involved is Chiqutia S. Russel, who lives on North Springfield Avenue. She was given multiple charges, including endangering the life and welfare of a child, driving without a license, failure to have insurance and leaving the scene of a vehicular accident, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak.

Russel returned to the accident scene, which was at the 1800 block of North Karlov Avenue. A witness identified her as the driver of the 2001 Chrysler, and said that she had fled the scene. Police arrested her immediately.

After she had fled the scene of the 9:35 pm accident, the police found the child in the back of the vehicle. According to officials, the child is the son of Russel's boyfriend. Thankfully, there was no indication the boy had been injured, according to police.

Following the filing of charges, Russel was assigned a court date of May 24th. The Illinois Department of Children and Family services has stated it intends to investigate the case. They have also stressed that they did not have prior contact with the family for any child services matters.

There is no word on the condition of the driver in the other vehicle involved in the car accident.

The charges are serious, carrying the potential for extensive fines and jail time. The child endangerment charge alone carries the potential of 10 years of jail time, while the other offenses carry jail times around several months of imprisonment and fines that can total approximately $5,000-$10,000, depending on the discretion of the court.

A call to Russel's residence reached a gentleman who insisted that the incident was a misunderstanding, and that she had not left the child behind.

A woman who claims a Jackson, Miss., police car injured her when it collided with the vehicle she was in won a critical victory in her lawsuit, as a Hinds County judge has agreed to give permission for the lawsuit.

26-year-old Joi Fitzgerald’s complaint against the city of Jackson alleges that Officer Fredrick Suttles ran a red light at the intersection of Country Club and Northside drives on May 19, 2007. Suttles’ car crashed into Cedric Matlock’s car, in which Fitzgerald was a passenger.

Fitzgerald said the accident caused her long-term injuries in her neck, right leg, foot, hand and knee. The procedures to treat these injuries have left her with more than $16,000 in medical bills. In recompense, she is seeking $166,000 in damages as well as an unspecified amount in lost wages.

Jackson city attorneys attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed on several grounds. The first was that Fitzgerald did not completely pursue other avenues to receive damages before resorting to a lawsuit, while the second argument was that Suttles’ actions did not meet the standard for reckless disregard on which the suit is founded. The suit must prove Suttles acted without regard to the safety of someone not engaged in criminal activity according to Mississippi state law.

In ignoring the claims for dismissal, Judge Harrison commented that while Fitzgerald and Suttles had given conflicting reports as to whom had the right of way, both had indicated that Suttles was traveling without his lights on despite responding to a robbery call at the time of the accident.

There is a certain amount of precedent for this sort of case in Jackson. In 2005, a Jackson officer was found to have recklessly disregarded the safety of nonoffenders when he struck and killed Desmonde Harris.

No date has been set in the trial at this time.