Gwinnett County Police Officer Arrested after Drunk Driving Accident
You would expect a law enforcement officer, who sees the devastation caused by drunk driving accidents everyday, to have a better appreciation for the consequences of these. Not always, it appears. A police officer in Gwinnett County has been arrested for driving under the influence after he caused a minor accident.
The officer James Stoudenmire, was driving a Mustang that rear ended another car stopped at a red light. The passenger in the other vehicle suffered a leg injury. Officers, who responded at the scene, noticed the strong smell of alcohol, and administered a field sobriety test. Stoudenmire was reported "unsteady” during the test. He also confessed that he had consumed four alcoholic drinks. He was charged with DUI and following too closely. Stoudenmire has been placed on administrative leave.
Stoudenmire has been a cop for the last four years. That should have been enough time to understand the consequences of driving under the influence. The public and Gwinnett County drunk driving accident lawyers look to lawmakers and law enforcement officers to provide inspiration, and be an example for the motoring public.
In Georgia, we have been able to bring down drunk driving accident fatality rates over the past few years. Fewer people die in alcohol-related car accidents now that they used to a decade earlier. Much of this has had to do with stronger enforcement and a reduced tolerance for drunk driving. The accidents that do take place however, involve people like Stoudenmire, who know that it is dangerous to drink and drive, but do so anyway.
Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or fatalities in this accident. Typically, drunk driving accidents have deadly consequences, because they involve a motorist who is feeling reckless and not in control of his facilities.