Southeast Missouri Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Our Cape Girardeau car accident lawyers frequently represent the victims of drunk drivers. While public education and awareness about impaired driving are at an all-time high, these accidents still result in the deaths of hundreds of Missourians - and many more injuries - every single year. Last weekend, a suspected impaired driver in Poplar Bluff caused a 1 vehicle accident resulting in the deaths of her passengers.

It happened early Saturday morning around 4:00 a.m. Police estimate that 24 year-old Christina Aldridge was going at least 48 miles per hour on Saxon Drive when she failed to see a stop sign. She hit her brakes too late, causing her 2001 Jeep Cherokee to skid through the intersection, cross Ashcroft Road, flip over, and plunge into the Black River.

The Jeep landed on its roof in the water and was completely submerged: witnesses who live on Saxon Drive reported hearing a loud boom, and then Aldridge crying out for help. Aldridge was able to escape the vehicle through the driver's side window, which was open at the time of the crash, and witnesses helped her reach the riverbank. She was not injured. Her passengers, however, were trapped. It took a tow truck and several divers from the Missouri Highway Patrol to retrieve the vehicle later that morning: when they did, they found 25 year-old Joshua Phelps in the front passenger seat, and 29 year-old Jason Carrington in the back seat. Their windows were closed. No one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.

According to officers from the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Aldridge admitted that she had been drinking all evening. She was arrested and booked for driving while intoxicated and 2 counts of manslaughter: she remains jailed in Butler County. Yesterday, autopsies were scheduled to be performed on Phelps and Carrington, although Butler County Coroner Jim Akers said "evidence at the scene indicates they did not die as a result of injuries from the accident," reports the Southeast Missourian. Akers believes the autopsies will show that the 2 men died of drowning.

Continue reading "Drunk Driving Accident Causes 2 Fatalities in Poplar Bluff, Missouri" »

Roadway traffic through the holiday season is expected to increase significantly, and with the boost in traffic comes an increase in drunk driving car accidents in Cape Girardeau and elsewhere. To help make the roadways safer, Troop E of the Missouri Highway Patrol will be conducting a number of sobriety checkpoints in the area. According to Captain George E. Ridens, troopers will be administering a number of intoxicated-driving "saturations" in conjunction with sobriety checkpoints in Dunklin County, as well as the counties of Cape Girardeau and New Madrid.

"The driving while intoxicated saturation is a mobile operation in which troopers saturate a specific area in an effort to arrest intoxicated drivers," Ridens explained in a statement.

Our Gape Girardeau drunk driving accident attorneys understand that these types of accidents are so prevalent during the holiday season that national organizations are joining the fight. During this time, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. For this year's efforts, MADD released a new report that rates each state on its efforts to stop alcohol-related traffic crashes. The U.S. as a whole received a ranking of three out of five stars.

"While we've made substantial progress with the Campaign over the past five years, the ratings earned by each state show that there is still much work to be done," said MADD National President Jan Withers.

Missouri received a rating of three out of five stars for its efforts to combat drunk driving. The report said that the expansion of ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders paired with high-visibility law enforcement helped to decrease the number of drunk-driving fatalities in our state by more than 20 percent since the campaign started. Still, the report suggested that we use ignition interlock devices for first-time offenders to reduce the number of accidents even more. Lastly, it was suggested that our government beef up penalties for those who are busted driving drunk with a child in the vehicle.

Continue reading "Law Enforcement Beefs Up During Holidays to Combat Drunk Driving Accidents in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and Elsewhere" »

Drinking and driving continues to be a significant cause of car accidents in New Madrid, Missouri and throughout the state and the country. New Madrid Missouri car accident lawyers bring you this Safety Alert from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to help spread the awareness campaign that helps highlight the problem. This Safety Alert also provides facts to help educate everyone about the results of hard core drinking and driving. The NTSB provides safety alerts in the hopes of making our highways and roadways safer and to save lives.

Part of the NTSB's mission is to issue safety alerts in conjunction with the most wanted list of the advocacy's priorities to reduce the dangers that plague transportation. This Safety Alert is to target Hard Core Drinking Drivers in order to get habitual drinking drivers off the nation's highways. Habitual drinking drivers and habitual traffic offenders plague the streets of New Madrid County and roads throughout southeast Missouri. Therefore the New Madrid Missouri car accident lawyers think it is important to share this safety alert.

Hard Core Drinking Drivers Defined
NTSB defines a hard core dinking driver as someone who has blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of 0.15 percent or greater or who are repeat offenders with one or more drunk driving arrests or convictions in the past ten years. They are targeted with a safety alert because these hard core drinking drivers are involved in more than 70 percent of the alcohol impaired car accident fatalities.

Drinking and Driving Facts

• One alcohol impaired driving fatality occurs about every 45 minutes in the United States.


• One person was killed or injured in drinking related accidents every 2.2 hours in 2010 in Missouri.


• 10,839 people died nationwide in alcohol-impaired car accidents in 2009.


• 218 people were killed and 3,823 were injured in Missouri in 2010 in drinking related traffic accidents.


• Out of 379 car accidents in 2010 in New Madrid 29 involved alcohol.


• 51.1% of drinking involved accidents in 2010 occurred in rural areas.


• Nationwide 251,000 people died in car accidents involving hard core drinking drivers between 1982 and 2009.


• Of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol one-third are repeat offenders.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) reports there are strong indicators that drinking and driving is under-reported. Alcohol indicators are not always obvious in serious accident situations, and sometimes injuries cause the same symptoms as alcohol intoxication. Sometimes there may not be enough evidence of alcohol infraction to arrest someone. So it is safe to say that the numbers listed are low and do not indicate the full impact of the problem.

Continue reading "Safety Alert for Hardcore Drinking Drivers in New Madrid and Throughout Missouri" »

A boating accident that killed two people and injured three others will go to trial in the spring of 2012. A Poplar Bluff woman has been charged with a felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, three felonies of second-degree assault with a vessel, and two felonies of involuntary manslaughter with a vessel, according to the Southeast Missourian. The accident took place back in July near Worley's Rock.

Boating accidents in Southeast Missouri can be avoided if all boaters practice responsible boating habits. This recent accident occurred when two boats heading in opposite directions took a curve in the river. The boaters attempted to swerve to avoid a collision, but failed to do so. Boaters from each vessel were ejected upon collision, and one died from abdominal and chest trauma while the other drowned.

Our Poplar Bluff boating accident attorneys understand that Missouri State Water Patrol reported that there had been a strong odor of alcohol on the woman's breath. Officers also noted that she had dilated pupils and glassy eyes. Officers administered a number of field-sobriety tests to the woman, and a breath test revealed that she was in an "intoxicated condition."

Boaters are asked to follow laws similar to roadway laws. Boaters are prohibited from driving while drunk, exceeding speed limits and driving in restricted areas.

After the field-sobriety test, officers took the woman to the Doniphan Police Department where she took another breath test that produced a reading of .123 percent.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics from 2010 reveal that:

-There were more than 4,600 boating accidents reported. Nearly 700 people died and more than 3,150 people were injured in these accidents.

-Accidents resulted in nearly $40 million in property damage.

-There was a death rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. This is nearly a 7 percent decrease from the death rate in 2009.

-About 75 percent of boaters who died throughout the year drowned. About 88 percent of these victims were reported to not be wearing a life jacket.

-Eighty percent of boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.

-The top five contributors to fatal boating accidents included operator inattention, operator inexperience, alcohol, improper lookout and excessive speed.

-Alcohol consumption is the number one cause of fatal boating accidents. This cause was listed as a contributor in nearly 20 percent of all boating deaths.

-More than 20 children under the age of 13 were killed in boating accidents, and more than 40 percent of them drowned. Nearly 45 percent of those who drowned were wearing a life jacket.

-Motorboats accounted for 46 percent of vessels involved in boating accidents. Personal watercraft accounted for 20 percent and cabin motorboats accounted for 14 percent.

-There were nearly 12,500,000 registered recreational vessels.

Continue reading "Woman Charged with Six Felonies after Missouri Boating Accident " »

Just a few months ago, the National Law Enforcement Initiatives Manager for Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Carl McDonald, began his venture of a three-month trans-American bicycling journey. Along for the ride was his sister Sallie McDonald. The two of them set out on the ride to raise money for MADD and to honor the memory of his five-year-old daughter, who was killed by an intoxicated driver.

Carl lost his five-year-old daughter to a drunk driver back in 1998. This driver was operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .22, which is nearly three times the legal limit.

Our Jackson and Cape Giradeau Missouri car accident attorney support the cause that Carl and his sister are riding for. Drunk drivers cause too many fatal car accidents in Sikeston, Kinnett, Dexter and elsewhere in Southeast Missouri. Not only does the summer time bring out an increased number of drunk drivers, it also brings out an increased number of bicyclists. It is important for all motorists, and bicyclists, to practice extra cautious and alert driving habits during these next few summer months.

The brother and sister duo started the venture at Amelia Island in Florida back at the end of April. They plan to finish their biking journey in Astoria, Oregon. Their planned journey aims to take them through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Oregon.

It is estimated that nearly 11,000 people will lose their lives this year alone because of drunk-driving accidents. This is equivalent to one life lost every 50 minutes. According to the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these fatal accidents will count for more than 30 percent of all motor-vehicle accidents for the year. Nearly 200 children died because of traffic accident involving an alcohol-impaired driver. Missouri witnessed nearly 400 deaths resulting from accidents involving an intoxicated driver in 2009 alone.

The ride also brings up the importance of bike safety on our roadways. According to the NHTSA, the United States witnessed more than 600 bicyclist fatalities on our roadways because of motor-vehicle traffic accidents last year. Another 51,000 bicyclists were injured. These accidents accounted for 2 percent of all injuries resulting from traffic accidents during the entire year.

Safety tips for motorists to increase safety for bicyclists:

-Refrain from tailgating.

-Wait until you're sure it's safe before passing a bicyclist.

-Always give a bicyclist the right of way.

-Give bicyclists extra time to get through intersections.

-Be extra cautious when reversing or opening your vehicle's doors as passing motorists are an easy target in these incidents.

Motorists are also urged to report drunk drivers on our roadways:

-Stay away from the vehicle. Do not attempt to stop the vehicle or the driver yourself.

-You can spot a drunk driver as they will typically swerve, change lanes erratically, stop or accelerate for no reason, travel much slower or faster than the posted speed limit and may even ignore stop signs and traffic lights.

-Attempt to get a description, from a distance of course. Get the vehicle's color, make, model, license plate number and a description of the driver as well. Be sure to know the road they're traveling on and the direction they're headed too.

-Call your local law enforcement and let them handle the situation.

Drivers are asked to travel with extreme caution and alertness. Bicyclists are asked to travel wisely as well as they're more vulnerable in these accidents. Bicyclists should practice their own defensive driving habits in an attempt to reduce the risks of accidents for everyone.

Continue reading "Siblings Venture set out to Raise Awareness of Drunk Driving Accidents in Jackson, Missouri and Cape Giradeau " »

Perryville Car Crash Lawyers are keeping abreast of a story involving a rollover car accident on June 8 which injured two people. The accident occurred on Highway U.S. 61 just north of Perry County Road 801.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Online Traffic Crash Report
the driver of the vehicle, Kaylee R. Emmendorfer, 21, veered off to the right shoulder of the road, and then overcorrected. The resulting motion caused the 1995 Mitsubishi 3000 GT to go off the left side of the road, and roll over. Ms. Emmendorfer sustained moderate injuries, but the passenger in the vehicle, Seth A. Adams, 22, was seriously injured in the crash. Both people were taken by ambulance to Perry County Memorial Hospital.

While still at the hospital, Emmendorfer was charged with driving while intoxicated, and second-degree assault in connection to the crash. As all Perryville Auto Accident Attorneys are aware, the severity of the penalty, if Emmendorfer is found guilty, depends on whether or not this is her first offense. As she is only 21, we sincerely hope that it is.

For a 1st DUI conviction, Missouri law imposes a jail term of up to six months, a fine of up to $500, a 30 day full license suspension, and a 60 day restricted license after the 30 day full suspension. There is also a $45 license reinstatement fee to be considered.

If this is a person's second offense, she could face up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1000, a one year license suspension and an ignition interlock device required after her license has been reinstated. And of course, the $45 reinstatement fee. If the second offense occurs within five years of the previous offense, there could be a five year license suspension.

Continue reading "Driver, 21, charged with DWI in Perry County, Missouri Rollover Car Accident " »

Cape Girardeau and Popular Bluff residents love Fourth of July celebrations. And the accident attorneys of Southeast Missouri wish you a very happy Fourth. One of our country's most favorite holidays, the Fourth of July is the picture of summer.

Fireworks displays, picnics in the park, soft-ball, water fun and BBQ's with watermelon, all mean summer is here and it is time to enjoy it with our friends and family. As summer is just getting underway, everybody wants to enjoy the festivities. Unfortunately enjoying the festivities often means people who drink and then drive. Drunk driving accidents are one of the major causes of death and injury around the Fourth of July.

Enjoy the Fourth of July, but alcohol does require responsible use. With this in mind, we offer the following tips to help keep your Fourth of July as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Simple and Easy Precautions For A Safe Fourth of July:

• Plan ahead. Be aware of the dangers, know how to avoid injuries, and then plan what you will do if something happens. Keep important emergency phone numbers handy. Set some ground rules at the start of your festivities and make sure everybody understands and follows them.


• Make sure everyone knows fun does not have to be dangerous; you just want everyone to take reasonable precautions.


• Make a game out of monitoring car keys so only designated drivers are able to have car keys.


• Provide food, permissible fireworks, and other fun but make 2 or more people the designated Safety Team. They can keep a watchful eye on the alcohol consumption, fireworks, cooking, water play, and other activities which could be dangerous.


• Make sure everyone knows that for each person's safety, the Safety Team can call foul and everybody should stop and listen.

Continue reading "Cape Girardeau Accident Attorneys Wish Southeast Missouri A Safe Fourth of July." »

In the last 25 years in the United States, more than 1,000,000 lives have been violently ended as a result of a car accident in Southeast Missouri and elsewhere across the country. These accidents are the number one of cause of deaths for citizens, according to United States Department of Transportation. In 2009 alone, nearly 34,000 people lost their lives in these unfortunate, and oftentimes careless, accidents. Even though 2009 represents the lowest number of fatalities from car accidents witnessed since 1950, we're still seeing an average of 95 lives lost each day.

A recent survey, conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, revealed that roughly 75 percent of American believe that we would benefit from stricter government enforcement of traffic safety rules and regulations. They also believe there is a need for more safety initiatives.

Our Missouri car accident attorneys understand that the AAA Foundation has been searching for answers to reduce the risks of car accidents through their annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, which first started in 2008. This survey is conducted over the phone and aims to analyze key indicators of the degree to which traffic safety is valued and is being pursued.

Major findings of the Traffic Safety Culture Index survey:

-More than half of all drivers report that driving feels less safe today than it did 5 just years ago.

-Nearly half report that some form of driver distraction is likely the main reason for them feeling less safe on our roadways.

-Half of all Americans have been involved in, or knows someone that has been involved in, an accident involving serious injured or death.

-There is almost 100 percent support for having alcohol-ignition interlocks in cars of those drivers that have been convicted of DWI more than once. More than 75 percent of those surveyed support requiring interlocks for first-time DWI offenders.

-75 percent of Americans support banning some use of hand-held cell phones while behind the wheel, but more people oppose, rather than support, a full-out ban on using any type of cell phone, even hands free, while driving.

-Nearly 50 percent of drivers say they have gone 15 mph over the speed limit on a freeway in the last 30 days.

-Two-thirds of Americans support laws that would allow police to stop and ticket a driver for not wearing a seat belt, even if they're not breaking any other law.

-Most drivers view driving while intoxicated as a very serious threat. Virtually all drivers disapprove of the act and acknowledge that others also disapprove of it. Very few drivers admit to drinking and driving (less than 2 drivers of 100 surveyed admit having done so in the last 30 days).

-Most of those surveyed viewed driving while drowsy as a serious threat and an unacceptable behavior, yet more than a quarter admit to driving when they were so tired that they had a hard time keeping their eyes open at some point in the last 30 days.

These survey results illustrate that while we find many driving behaviors to be dangerous, we are guilty of participating in them ourselves. The only clear way to help decrease the risks of a car accident is to look inward and focus on our own driving behaviors first. We should all try to lead by example.

Continue reading "Taking a Look at Your Driving Behavior May Reduce Risk of Cape Girardeau Missouri Car Accidents" »

Missouri state lawmakers look to toughen laws on repeat drunk driving offenders in an attempt to bring in more money for road improvements, according to News-Leader. While these stricter laws may allow more money to improve our state, they could also help to reduce the risks of drunk driving car accidents in Charleston and elsewhere in the Missouri.

Sen. Bill Stouffer, a Napton Republican, says the changes would allow the state of Missouri to redirect more than $15 million in federal funds from highway safety programs to road construction.

Our Southeast Missouri car accident attorneys understand that this money would benefit our state tremendously, but we think reducing the risk of DWI crashes could be the biggest benefit. The new bill would only allow repeat offenders to obtain limited driving privileges. Under this proposed rule, offenders would only be allowed to drive to school, work, alcohol or drug treatments or to an ignition interlock provider.

The bill would also sentence repeat offenders to complete community service and court-ordered treatment programs in order to avoid jail time. This too, would also help improve our state conditions.

A House committee heard testimony on the bill earlier this month. The Senate passed it last month.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 11,000 people were killed in accidents involving a driver impaired by alcohol in 2009. These types of accidents accounted for 32 percent of the total motor vehicle accident fatalities in the U.S. that same year.

Missouri saw nearly 400 fatalities from traffic accidents that involved and intoxicated driver in 2009.

Residents can do their part to reduce the risks of one of these fatal accidents by following these tips to prevent someone from driving while impaired:

-If the person that is trying to drive while intoxicated is a close friend, suggest that they've had too much to drink and it would be a better idea for them to let someone else drive them home or to take a cab. Try to make it sound like you are doing them a favor because you truly care.

-If the person that is trying to drive while intoxicated is somebody you don't know very well, talk with their friends and try to get them make an attempt to persuade the drinker to hand over the keys.

-If the person that is trying to drive while intoxicated is a good friend, spouse or significant other, tell them that if they insist on driving that you are not going to be riding with them. Tell them that you will either call someone else for a ride, take a taxi or walk home. Try to locate the person's keys while they're preoccupied, take them and hide them. Hopefully they will just think they have just lost the keys and will be forced to find another, safer way home. Try to avoid embarrassing the person or becoming confrontational.

Continue reading "Lawmakers Target DUI Offenders for Road Construction Money - Fewer Missouri Drunk Driving Accidents in Cape Girardeau and Elsewhere, A Laudable Effort" »

With spring upon us and summer waiting in the wings, teens are at increased risk of car crashes in Southeast Missouri.

Our car accident attorneys see an increase in local car wrecks in Cape Girardeau, Perryville , New Madrid, Charleston and elsewhere in Southeast Missouri through the prom and graduation season. Parents are encouraged to stay proactive when it comes to talking to their teenager about the risk. May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month and safety advocates nationwide will be pushing programs aimed at teaching teens about the dangers of making poor driving decisions.

Car wrecks are the leading cause of death for teens in Missouri's Bootheel and throughout the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those ages 15 to 19 are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal accident with the exception of the nation's most elderly drivers -- those over the age of 75.

Each year, more than 5,000 teenagers are killed in traffic accidents. Teens are at high risk for every poor driving decision in the book, including speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, failure to wear a seat belt and driving with too many passengers in the vehicle.

Safety advocates encourage you to get involved by:

-Encourage others to take action to increase awareness, including car dealers, mechanic shops, local law enforcement agencies and places frequently by teens, including fast food restaurants, schools and churches.

-Select a specific issue -- such as drunk driving -- to emphasize with your efforts in your community.

-Request proclamations from the mayor or other leaders in your community.

"For a lot of teens, this time of year is about kicking back, relaxing, and forgetting about responsibilities. But we all have a full-time responsibility when we get behind the wheel," said Elliot Johnson with the National Organizations for Youth Safety. "These programs are a great opportunity to put the focus back on safety while kids are still in school so that everybody can have a fun, safe summer."

Continue reading "Prom and Graduation Increase Risk of Teen Car Accidents in Southeast Missouri" »