Suspected Drunk Driver, 18, in Serious Condition
RIVERSIDE, California – Jonathan Cuevas, 20, of Riverside was killed and the 18-year-old suspected drunk driver of the sports utility vehicle he was traveling in was seriously injured early Saturday morning in a rollover crash on Arlington Avenue just west of Fairhaven Drive, according to a Riverside County Sheriff Coroner press release.
According to the press release and news reports, Cuevas was ejected from the 1995 Isuzu Rodeo after its driver lost control of it in a curve because he may have been speeding. The car veered off the roadway and rolled about 2:05 a.m. in the La Sierra neighborhood near Crestlawn Memorial Park. The young man died a few minutes after the crash at 2:15 a.m. The driver was transported to Riverside Community Hospital where he was listed in serious condition.
The Riverside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the collision and witnesses are asked to contact Detective Ken Madsen 951-826-8723.
“Despite so much effort to educate our teenagers about the dangers of drinking and driving, sadly our young people are still being killed on our roadways in these crashes,” said Attorney West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm and father of five adult children. “My heart goes out to the families of both these young men as they cope with this tragedy.”
According to the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Report there were 203 people killed and 7,974 people injured in Riverside County car accidents in 2009.
California Drunk Driving Statistics
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, some 791 people died because of drunk drivers out of a total of 2,715 people who were killed in traffic accidents in California in 2010.
Nationwide there were 10,228 deaths attributed to alcohol impaired driving in 2010, the NHTSA reports. Some 32,885 people died in traffic accidents nationwide. While the numbers are staggering, deaths from drunk drivers were actually down nearly 5% in 2010 compared to 2009.
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The Seegmiller Law Firm can be reached at 1-855-ASK–WEST (1-855-275-9378). For over 30 years, the firm has been a staunch advocate for victims’ rights and has fought for clients involved in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including premises liability, product liability, auto accidents, dog bites, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, at-work injuries and more. The firm has offices in Irvine, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
