"When you have an impaired driver, you're never too sure what's going to happen after the fact," commented a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper after a drunk driver crashed into a Department of Transportation vehicle at a construction site last week. After crashing into the truck, the drunk driver fled the scene, putting several construction workers and others on the road in danger of being hit.
The incident was reported around 3:30 a.m. on July 29. It is believed that the 21-year-old man who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash was under the influence. The man was passing through a construction zone near Mooreland Road in the westbound lane of Interstate 94 when he hit the painting truck. The driver proceeded to drive several miles away from the incident before his arrest.
Although no one was seriously injured in the motor vehicle accident, troopers are reminding all drivers on our Wisconsin roads to always be alert of their surroundings, road conditions and other vehicles, especially when passing through construction zones.
Not all motor vehicle accidents can be prevented in Wisconsin, but there are several laws in place in order to help prevent the number of accidents on our roads and to hold drivers accountable in the event that they injure or kill someone in a crash.
For example, speed limits are often reduced in construction zones in order to protect construction crews as they work next to heavy traffic. However, one Wisconsin State Patrol trooper commented after last week's crash that many drivers fail to acknowledge the reduced speed limits and continue to zip past workers at 65 mph. Construction zones often have narrow lanes and if a driver is not paying attention while speeding, he or she could easily lose control of the vehicle.
If construction crews or vehicles are pulled over to the side of the road, drivers are required by Wisconsin traffic laws to move over one lane if they can safely do so in order to avoid an unnecessary collision.
Individuals who fail to follow Wisconsin's traffic laws not only risk getting a ticket if caught by law enforcement, but they also put the lives of others in danger because of their own negligence.
Source: WISN.com, "Accused Drunken Driver Strikes DOT Painting Truck," 29 July 2011
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