Police say Cape Cod drunk driving car accident injures local man

Despite the efforts of law enforcement personnel, drunk driving continues to be a problem on Cape Cod and throughout Massachusetts. A recent car accident in Wellfleet resulted in injuries for one driver and criminal charges for the other. The collision occurred shortly after 9:15 p.m., where Route 6 intersects with Main Street.

Both drivers are reportedly residents of Cape Cod. A 48-year-old man apparently exited Route 6 onto Main Street in an SUV, crashing into a car in the process. The car driver was transported to the hospital. Though the specific nature and extent of his injuries was not described, he was later released from Cape Cod Hospital. There were no reports of others involved in the crash or of any injuries to the SUV driver.

Nevertheless, the SUV driver was arrested and charged by local authorities with OUI and a related criminal offense. He was released from custody after posting bail. His formal arraignment was scheduled to take place in Orleans District Court on the Monday following the Saturday night collision. The results of any breath tests or field sobriety testing were not reported.

As the accused man must now answer the charges in a Massachusetts criminal courtroom, the accident victim is left to recover from the ordeal. Fortunately, it does not appear that the injuries suffered were life threatening in this instance, something that is not always the case in these types of tragedies. The injured man still retains the right to pursue a personal injury claim against the allegedly drunk driver as a result of the car accident. If the criminal proceedings yield a conviction, proof of that may be used to establish liability in a related civil lawsuit.

Source: CapeCodOnline.com, “Drunken-driving charge follows 2-car crash,” Bryan Williams, April 1, 2013