When people are involved in a car accident, the adrenaline of the moment could cause them to react in ways that are out of character. However, it may be easy for this somewhat reflexive reaction to be misinterpreted by law enforcement officials. In fact, police in Wisconsin believe that drunk driving was a factor in a recent chain-reaction car crash.
The incident happened one evening on a day in mid-November. Police believe that a driver headed south on a Wisconsin interstate lost control of his vehicle, causing the vehicle to enter the median before coming to a rest in the northbound lanes. Then multiple vehicles that were headed north became involved in the collision. Traffic in the southbound lanes also slowed, resulting in additional crashes.
Police say that the driver of the vehicle they believe set off the series of events ran from the scene. He was taken into custody soon afterward. A representative for the sheriff’s department claims that she is unsure how many vehicles were involved or how many people were transported to the hospital for treatment. However, one person reportedly suffered serious injuries and was transported by helicopter.
Reports indicate that the driver now faces multiple criminal charges, including accusations of drunk driving. Despite this, it is unclear how police determined that he was under the influence of alcohol or what his blood alcohol content was at the time of the accident. It is possible that the shock of being involved in such a large accident could create symptoms that may seem similar to those of intoxication. In order to convict the man of the charges stemming from the accident, Wisconsin prosecutors must be able to prove that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
