Off duty police officer crashes into car driven by 36-year-old
In Boston we may not like to think of our local police force as misbehaving or having the same types of problems that others among us may have. However, it happens. Police officers make mistakes and do not behave as they should — sometimes with serious consequences.
Recently it was widely reported that a police officer who was allegedly driving while drunk, rammed his Toyota Tundra into a Honda Accord driven by a 36-year-old woman. The 36-year-old was seriously injured in the accident and the officer suffered minor injuries. When the officer was admitted to the hospital, his blood alcohol concentration tested at 0.27 percent which is more than three times the BAC legal limit of 0.08 percent.
The accident took place at 11:53 in the evening in Hyde Park. The officer’s Toyota Tundra has a black box which revealed that the officer may have been traveling at 68 miles per hour when he failed to stop at a stop sign, thereby causing the crash. Apparently speeding would not be an unusual occurrence for the officer who has six speeding tickets and three driving to endanger tickets.
When someone’s negligence causes a personal injury to another person, the negligent party could be sued in civil court to compensate the injured party for damages including pain and suffering. In this particular instance, there are at least three occurrences which could constitute negligence:
- Drinking and driving with a BAC of 0.27 percent
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Speeding or reckless driving
The police office pleaded not guilty to drunk driving, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failing to stop and speeding. He is working at a desk job at the present time.
The 36-year-old’s injuries were not described, although newspaper photos show her in a neck brace with cuts on her face. Whether she would pursue civil litigation was not reported.
Source: Boston Herald, “Boston cop arraigned in horrific car crash,” Christine McConville, July 21, 2012
At our Boston area law firm we represent clients, such as the 36-year-old in this posting, who suffer personal injuries due to the negligence of others.
