DUI San Jose Truck Driver Causes Series of Car Accidents
A truck driver believed to have been on medication caused a chain of mini accidents on northbound Highway 1 in San Jose. The 56-year-old motorist initially clipped a white sedan, and then kept driving, hitting several signs on the way. He eventually came to a stop, but yet again attempted to continue driving. He then lost control of the truck and it rolled over. The truck accident knocked the driver unconscious.
The windshield of the truck had to be cut out to extricate the driver. According to California Highway Patrol officers at the scene of the truck accident, the driver seemed disoriented and incoherent after the accident. The motorist told the officers that he was on medication for a health condition. The officers are continuing to investigate the truck accident.
It's fortunate that the motorist here was not able to cause any major injuries to himself or to other drivers on the highway. In the state that he was reported to be in after the truck accident, there was definitely a possibility of injuries or fatalities resulting from the crash.
Driving under the influence (DUI) doesn't have to imply driving after having imbibed alcohol, or drugs like narcotics and other prohibited substances. It can also involve the consumption of perfectly legal drugs, like prescription medication and even over-the-counter medications. For instance, some over-the-counter preparations like cough formula and cold medications have known drowsiness effects. The labels on some of these medications specifically warn against driving or operating heavy machinery. According to nhtsa.gov, NSAIDs, anti-coagulants, benzodiazepine and ACE inhibitors can impair a person's driving ability causing motor vehicle crashes. Other medications like anti-depressants also have the possibility to impair motor functioning, impacting your ability to drive safely.
The use of one of these medications alone may not impair your driving. Different medications can react with each other to produce a series of side effects that may impair your ability to drive. Older drivers are more prone to impaired driving resulting from drug use because they may suffer from health conditions that necessitate taking several medications in combination with each other.
A driver under the influence of prescription drugs can be just as impaired as a person under the influence of alcohol. When a person causes injuries in a DUI accident that results from the use of prescription drugs, they can be held liable for their actions.
The Reeves Law Group is a California law firm of dedicated <a href="http://www.robertreeveslaw.com">California Accident Lawyers & Personal Injury Attorneys</a>. Need a <a href="http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/CM/TrafficAccidents/Motor-Vehicle-Accidents.asp">California Car Accident Injury Lawyer, Auto Accident Attorney</a>, or a <a href="http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/CM/LP/Motorcycle-Accidents-LP.asp">California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer</a>? Call (800) 644-8000 for a free consultation.
