Man Arrested After Hitting and Killing 7-Year-Old Boy with Car

July 27, 2011

A Sumner, Illinois man was arrested Monday for driving under the influence, after killing a 7-year-old boy who was riding his bike. News Channel 10 reports that the driver was heading eastbound on South/East Street when the boy’s bike veered slightly into the lane and was struck by the vehicle. The driver, 31 years of age, was arrested by officers at the scene after failing field sobriety tests and was booked for driving under the influence. He is being held pending more serious charges.

The boy was transported to Lawrence County Memorial Hospital by ambulance, where he later died from the injuries sustained in the accident.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) reported that the state of Illinois ranks 37^th among the 50 states for the number of drunk driving incidents. Those incidents include 319 fatalities between 2007 and 2008. That means 35% of all traffic deaths during those years were directly related to driving under the influence, costing the state $1.66 billion dollars. It is surprising that more fatalities have not occurred, considering the state is home to nearly 50,000 3-time DUI offenders, and 5,659 5-time offenders.

The Illinois DUI Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin Disability Lawyers may be able to assist victims of drunk driving accidents in collecting compensation for the damages they incurred in the accident. They may also be able to help collect for lost wages and medical bills due to injuries sustained during the accident. Contact them immediately for a free consultation of your case if you have been injured.