Indianapolis Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Discusses Preventing Friends from Driving Drunk

We have preached over and again about the dangers of drunk driving.  We have talked about making the personal decision not to drink and drive.  However, we have left off the issue of preventing your friends from drinking and driving.  As we all know, the drunk driving accident causes wrongful death and serious personal injury including brain injury, spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis, broken bones, amputations and other very serious and debilitating injuries.  The social cost of drunk driving accidents is in the billions of dollars in terms of medical bills, lost wages, inability to work and support ones family.  We all know that there are people who have not made the commitment to themselves and to the rest of their fellow Hoosiers to not drink and drive.  These folks will get drunk and not think twice about the harm they are going to cause.  There are also those who, because they are drunk, have forgotten their sensible commitment not to drink and drive.  It is for both these groups of people that the friend needs to step in and prevent a tragedy.

In this light, we salute the efforts of Timothy Bolger, age 20, for his efforts to stop his friend from drinking and driving drunk.  On Tuesday night, August2, 2011, Mr. Bolger’s friend, one Madeline Lemke, age 18 was at a party where the friends of Patrick Trainor were gathered.  You may remember Mr. Trainor, he, lost his life when he drove into a retention pond and drowned a few years ago.  Mr. Bolger tried to stop Ms. Lemke from drinking and driving.  Unfortunately for Mr. Bolger, Ms. Lemke was too intoxicated to respect his efforts and injured him with her car, while he was trying to stop her from driving.  We wish Mr. Bolger a speedy and full recovery while we acknowledge his bravery and empathy for other Hoosiers using our roads.  His efforts stopped Ms. Lemke from killing others on the road.

Anytime there is a gathering where alcohol is being served, non alcoholic drinks and water should be made available.  The designated driver must be found and supported.  There job is so important to the welfare of everyone.  The designated driver should have available to them the number of a reputable cab company, and the ability to talk to those who are drunk so that they see the danger they are putting themselves in and the danger they are putting others in.