Davis Law Group, P.S.

19-Year-Old Drunk Driver Hits a Trooper on Shoulder of I-5

In Lynnwood, around 10:45 p.m. last night, a drunk driver hit a state trooper, causing him injuries and to hit the car in front of him.

Trooper Keith Leary said the trooper had just pulled a driver over for a traffic violation when he was hit from behind. Trooper Chris Caiola had to be cut from the mangled car wreck.

The trooper’s drug-sniffing dog was also in his vehicle at the time of the crash but was not injured.

Caiola is expected to be released from the hospital today. He suffered from bumps and bruises and is in pain. There were no serious injuries.

The drunk driver was a 19-year-old woman. She is under investigation of DUI, minor in possession of alcohol and reckless endangerment.

Southbound lanes of I-5 were closed for several hours after the drunken driving accident.

Davis Law Group is very relieved to hear that Trooper Caiola will make a quick recovery.

Drunk Driving Accident Statistics

In Washington State, 54% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involve a driver that was under the influence of alcohol. In 2009 265 people in Washington State lost their lives in drunk driving crashes. In Washingon State there is a sharp increase in the number of drunk driving incidents near major holidays.

Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle collisions. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 16,694 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in the United States in 2004. This figure represents 39% of all traffic incident deaths. In fact, more than 500,000 Americans are injured annually in drunken driving crashes.