Last summer, two 17-year-old boys from Connecticut let a very drunk 17-year-old girl get behind the wheel of a car. She crashed the car into a tree just a half-mile later and died before emergency workers could reach her. Investigators determined that the boys knew that the girl was drunk and did not do anything about it. Alcohol can deaden a person’s senses, affecting judgment and reaction time. As a result, someone who is driving while intoxicated is much more likely to get into a collision than other drivers.

Police said the girl started the ride as a passenger inside a Honda Pilot, which belonged to a friend’s parents. A 16-year-old boy was driving the girl and three other boys to their homes until they let off one of the teens by his house. The driver continued to drive to his own house, where he got out of the SUV. Another teenage boy in the car moved to the driver’s seat and drove until he reached his home. He got out of the car with the other teenage boy. The girl, who was the last person left in the SUV, then drove away alone.

The 17-yearold girl, a high school junior, had the automobile accident just a half-mile away from where the two teen boys exited the vehicle. The two 17-year-old boys were arrested for allowing the girl to drive drunk.

The two boys were brought up on charges that consisted of reckless endangerment. The first driver of the car was issued summonses for breaching state passenger restrictions. In addition, another 17-year-old girl was issued a summons right after the accident for hosting parties with alcohol in the nights before the fatal car crash. She was charged with two counts of permitting minors to have alcohol.

If someone was in an accident caused by a drunk driver, they may be able to receive compensation for injuries or damages. Families of a victim of a car accident may be able to file a wrongful death claim against a person whose actions caused the death of their relative.

Source:  nydailynews.com, “Two teens busted for letting Connecticut girl drive drunk” Joe Kemp, Dec. 06, 2013