The last thing anybody should have to worry about when they are on the roadway is that they will be harmed by a drunk driver. Unfortunately, these incidents happen regularly in and around Philadelphia. Here, our Philadelphia DUI accident lawyers want to discuss a recent case in which a drunk driver reversed into a tractor-trailer on the Schuylkill Expressway and killed the driver.
A driver who was operating in a stolen car was trying to reverse on the Expressway when he crashed into a tractor-trailer. This caused the commercial truck to burst into flames, killing the driver and closing the highway for more than seven hours.
Police say that Zamir Abdul-Johnson-Selby, 19, of Philadelphia was driving a 2018 Toyota Yaris eastbound on I-76 in early morning hours of May 6 when he put his vehicle into reverse, lost control of the car, and crashed into the truck. Police say that the truck then struck a protective wall and subsequently caught fire. It took responding firefighters approximately two hours to extinguish the flames.
The truck driver who died was a 54-year-old man from Florida. The driver of the stolen vehicle, along with two girls in the car, also had minor injuries. They all fled the scene, but police later found them at the hospital. Police took Abdul-Johnson-Selby into custody and charged him with homicide by vehicle, recklessly endangering another person, leaving the scene of an accident involving death driving under the influence, and other related offenses.
As the Pennsylvania economy begins to reopen after various coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased, we can expect that traffic crashes will begin to increase once again. Unfortunately, this will likely include DUI incidents. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were nearly 10,000 alcohol-related crashes during the latest reporting year in the Commonwealth. These incidents were responsible for 28% of all traffic fatalities that year.
We encourage all drivers on Pennsylvania roadways to operate their vehicles safely. While many people are still wary of COVID-19, we also realize that the summer months are heating up, and some of the main summer holidays are upon us. Traditionally, Memorial Day and July Fourth result and much higher than average DUI accident incidents.
If you or somebody you love has been injured in a crash that was caused by a drunk driver, secure legal assistance as soon as possible. At the Dan Doyle Law Group, we believe that victims of these incidents deserve compensation for what happened. We will investigate the crash and work to secure the following:
When you need a Philadelphia DUI accident attorney, you can contact us by clicking here or calling 215-987-3730 for a free consultation of your case.