We recently posted about Gaige Sippy, an Amarillo-area man who inadvertently hit and killed a bicyclist.  A grand jury has decided not to issue an indictment.  Here is a link to the TV story -

http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=13049464

Drunk drivers seriously injure and kill thousands of people each year.  According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (“MADD”), on average, someone is killed by a drunk driver every 45 minutes.  In 2008, approximately 11,773 people died in drunk driving related crashes.  What will it take to stop druink drivers?  One drunk driver will now pay by spending his life in prison.

Bobby Stovall was convicted on July 29, 2010 by a jury of felony driving while intoxicated, and he elected to have the judge assess the punishment. After hearing additional evidence, the judge sentenced Mr. Stovall to life in prison.  On July 3, 2009, while driving his truck in Round Rock, Texas, Mr. Stovall crossed lanes of traffic without yielding.  Another vehicle hit his truck, and a female passenger in Mr. Stovall’s truck was injured.  She allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .38.  Mr. Stovall was intoxicated (according to police), and he allegedly had eight previous DWI convictions from Collin, Dewitt, Nueces, Galveston, Jackson and/or Goliad Counties.  Mr. Stovall’s blood sample was taken, and a test at the DPS Crime Laboratory showed that Stovall had a blood alcohol concentration of .32.  Take a look at this article -

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2010/08/11/man_receives_life_in_prison_af.html

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A man in Port Arthur, riding a bicycle, died as a result of a hit-and-run crash.  The driver of the vehicle that hit him apparently ran a stop sign and then hit the man.  Here is a link to a brief article -

http://panews.com/local/x383287500/Man-on-bicycle-dies-from-hit-and-run 

Anyone who rides a bike in the White Rock Lake area in Dallas, and who uses the current trail crossing Northwest Highway, has noticed the ongoing Northwest Highway construction.  The construction had been until now just a nuisance.  However, the construction it now likely to make riding more dangerous for some riders.

Bike riders riding the trail approaching White Rock Lake from the north currently cross Northwest Highway at West Lawther.  However, the crossing will be moved for approximately two years, so that those north-south riders will be forced to cross Northwest Highway at Buckner.  The trip from the current trail to Buckner is fraught with significant risk.  Take a look at this Channel 8 story -

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-cyclists-bemoan-White-Rock-detour-97538189.html

A woman was attacked by a wild pack of dogs on a Queens boardwalk several years ago and suffered scarring and post-traumatic stress disorder.  She alleged that the City was responsible for creating an environment in which wild dogs packs thrived.  She settled her case for $750,000.00 during trial.  Here is a link to a story -

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/06/23/2010-06-23_marlene_filsaime_queens_woman_mauled_by_dogs_in_2001_wins_settlement_against_cit.html

A five-year-old girl was attacked and killed by a pit bull, and authorities have had difficulty finding anyone who will admit ownership of the dog.  A grand jury investigating the tragedy has thus far failed to return an indictment due to the uncertainty.  Here is a link to an  article  about the situation -

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12693077

Here is a link to one of our prior blog posts about keeping our kids safe from dogs -

http://deanmalonelawfirm.com/personal-injury-blog/?cat=4 

What will it take to keep drunk drivers off of our roads?  People who choose to drive drunk cause numerous injuries and deaths each year, and significant criminal penalties seem not to have stemmed the tide.  An alleged drunk driver recently hit a motorcyclist in Amarillo, causing significant injuries.  Here is a link to the story -

http://www.newschannel10.com/global/story.asp?s=12627461

A Bastrop County jury sentenced a drunk driver this week to two consecutive 17 1/2 year prison sentences.  The driver, Sandy Sendgikoski, was found guilty of two counts of intoxication manslaughter.  Mr. Sengikoski, driving a Dodge Neon, failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a truck.  The truck went airborne and in turn struck another truck.  Two men died as a result of the crash – a former Travis County chief deputy and the owner of a landscaping company.  Here is a link to an article about the verdict -

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/man-sentenced-in-dwi-deaths-591570.html

Hopefully, the day will come when a drunk driving crash will be a rare occurrence.  Drunk driving injuries and deaths are 100% preventable.  We make decisions whether to drink, when to drink, and how much to drink.  We then decide whether to get behind the wheel of a vehicle which can maim and kill if not operated properly.  Let’s make the right decisions and avoid the consequences of driving while intoxicated.

The owner of Runtex, an Austin business, is displaying a large banner to raise the public’s awareness of bicyclists.  The banner is partly in remembrance of Gay Simmons Posey, an Austin woman who was killed on Loop 360 while riding ber bicycle in triathlon training.  A car ran over Posey and killed her, and the car never stopped.

According to the Texas Bicycle Coalition, an average of 50 bicyclists are killed while riding in Texas each year.  Here is a link to the article about the banner -

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Cyclists-Death-Anniversary-91077144.html

It is a great time of year to ride motorcycles in Texas.  The weather has been mild, and the wildflowers are in bloom.  However, safety is paramount.  Many car and truck drivers pay too little attention to motorcycle riders.  Bike riders must constantly be aware of their surroundings and the possible actions of other drivers.  Unfortunately, there are still those that suffer as a result of motorcycle crashes.  Over nine-hundren (900) people dies in Texas in 2008 and 2009 as a result of motorcycle wrecks.  Take a look at this article in the Port Lavaca Wave -

http://portlavacawave.com/articles/2010/04/08/news/doc4bbbac7d2a32a609120930.txt