Drunk Driving Causes Two Fatalities in Louisville, KY Area

Drunk driving has been an issue around the United States for some time now. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has brought this to our attention. What’s even worse is when innocent people on the road have to pay the price for someone’s decision to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, two accidents occurred near Louisville that resulted in fatalities due to drinking and driving.

Related: Study: Kentucky Has Lowest Percentage of DUI-Related Crashes

Two fatal DUI accidents
On July 6, 2012, Charles Hunter, resident of Melvin County, was driving an SUV that hit Alex Mullins, 18, who was operating a motorcycle. According to WSAZ, Hunter took off after hitting Mullins. Hunter was caught soon after the hit-and-run and was arrested for numerous charges. The charges included driving on a suspended license and a DUI. Mullins was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The next day, July 7, 2012, Howard White of Bagdad, Kentucky suffered a fatality when a truck struck him. This accident happened on the side of Interstate 75 in Laurel County. White had pulled off to the side of the road early that morning when he was hit. The truck driver, Austin Merideth, was arrested when the police determined he was drunk. Merideth was charged with several violations including DUI, murder and wanton endangerment.

What can you do to protect yourself from underinsured drivers?
You never know when an accident is going to happen, nor do you want one to happen. In order to help you be prepared for the unknown, you may want to look into adding underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage to your car insurance policy. This insurance will help pay for any injuries you receive in an accident if the other party’s insurance cannot cover it. Insurance is expensive, and because of this, some Kentucky drivers choose not to have insurance. This is both illegal and dangerous in Kentucky. There are other drivers who do have insurance, but it’s minimal. This means their insurance may not cover all the expenses it needs to if the driver is in an accident. That’s where UIM coverage comes into play. It will pay what isn’t covered by the at-fault party. Also, when you add UIM coverage to your insurance, it typically doesn’t increase your premium by too much. If you’re interested in UIM coverage, you should talk to your insurance agent to get more details.

Related: Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) PDF

Drunk driving is a serious issue that needs to be stopped. One way we can stop this is to plan ahead. For example, if you are going to an event that has alcohol, you should go with a group and have a designated driver, plan to have someone pick you up or call a taxi to take you home. That way, you can still have fun at the event and also not risk anyone’s life. Please don’t drink and drive.