1 Killed, 4 Injured In DUI Crash In Florida Keys

Alcohol can cause many negative effects, especially for drivers. It can cause motorists to suffer from decreased judgment, making them more likely to crash. Unfortunately, these accidents can cause serious or even fatal injuries.

Sadly, this was recently the case in Florida, when a Maserati crashed into a Volkswagen SUV in Monroe County. One person was killed in the crash, which occurred on the evening of July 18 on US 1.

A 43-year-old man was driving a Maserati along US 1 when he tried to pass the Volkswagen on the Seven Mile Bridge. However, his attempt failed and he rear-ended the Volkswagen. There were five people inside the SUV. One of them, an 85-year-old woman from Miramar, was killed in the crash.

The woman’s two granddaughters and their parents were hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver of the Maserati did not stop at the accident scene. He continued north, colliding with the concrete traffic barrier. The vehicle then burst into flames.

Troopers spoke with the driver, who couldn’t remember what happened. He had bloodshot eyes and smelled like alcohol. He performed several field sobriety exercises and was arrested. He is currently in Monroe County Jail, where he is facing multiple criminal charges, including  seven counts of DUI, negligent manslaughter, and causing serious bodily harm.

The driver of the SUV had seen the Maserati weaving in and out of the lanes ahead of her before the crash. She was able to get ahead of the vehicle until it hit her from behind.

Alcohol Use and Memory Loss

The Maserati driver in this case claimed that he could not remember what happened. Is this common with alcohol consumption? Do people suffer from memory loss when they drink?

It’s possible with heavy consumption and even more common among social drinkers. Those who drink too much may not remember conversations they had with others. They may not even remember having sex with someone.

Consumption of large amounts of alcohol over a short period of time can indeed cause blackouts, which are gaps in a person’s memory. When a person drinks enough alcohol, they have the ability to temporarily block the transfer of memories from short-term to long-term storage. This affects memory consolidation in the hippocampus, an area of the brain. In severe cases, a person may suffer from complete amnesia, which can span several hours. In this case, memories of events do not form and it feels as though the events simply never occurred.

Contact Us Today 

Drunk driving is dangerous, often causing motorists to drive recklessly. This puts innocent lives at risk, as seen in this case.

Drunk driving is not taken lightly in Florida because drivers should know better. If you have been accused of DUI, you need help from the Florida DUI defense attorneys from Meldon Law. Let us protect your legal rights. Call (800) 373-8000 or fill out the online form to schedule a consultation. We have three offices to serve you: Gainesville, Ocala, and Fort Lauderdale.

Source:

wtsp.com/article/news/crime/driver-arrested-dui-fatal-crash-florida-keys-seven-mile-bridge/67-99a1f009-53f9-410a-b45f-22fac626e574