On May 19, two Missouri children were hit by alleged drunk drivers in separate incidents in Kansas City. Remarkably, the accidents occurred just four minutes and four miles from each other.
In the first incident, a vehicle struck a young child, described as being early elementary-school age, near East 40th Street and Wayne Avenue at around 3:41 p.m. Apparently, the driver attempted to go around a stopped car on the road and ended up hitting the child who was crossing the street. Luckily, the victim only suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. The driver reportedly tried to flee the scene but was later arrested and charged with DUI and driving on a revoked license. The individual was also wanted on multiple warrants.
Roughly four minutes later, a child riding a bike ran a stop sign near the intersection of East 26th Street and Drury Avenue and collided with the side of a moving vehicle. When police responded to the scene, they determined that the car’s driver was impaired and took the individual into custody on suspicion of drunk driving. The child suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Individuals charged with drunk driving have the right to retain a defense attorney and fight the allegations. In some cases, the attorney might be able to challenge the accuracy of any blood alcohol content or field sobriety tests that were performed, which could lead to a dismissed charge. In other circumstances, legal counsel could negotiate a plea deal that mitigates the charges, which could also reduce the penalties. For instance, a first-time offender might be allowed to complete an alcohol treatment program instead of going to jail.
Source: KSHB, “2 drivers arrested for DUI after children struck by vehicles in KCMO“, May 20, 2019