Boston, with its heavy traffic and sometimes slick winter roads, can be a hazardous place to drive. When drivers are under the influence, car accidents are even more common. Those who are injured or who lose someone they care about in a car accident need to know their rights, particularly if alcohol or drugs are a factor. The family members of a Massachusetts man who was killed in a recent car crash are sadly learning this.

At around 1:30 a.m. on Christmas Day, a Hanover, Massachusetts, man was driving with two other men when he struck a tree. The driver was allegedly drunk at the time of the crash. The 25-year-old male passenger sitting in the rear of the vehicle was pronounced dead at South Shore Hospital an hour after the car accident. The driver and the passenger who was seated in the front of the vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police investigated the accident and performed interviews, and they have stated that the driver was drunk at the time of the crash. He has been charged with vehicular homicide and is due in court next month for his pretrial conference.

Boston drivers have a responsibility to their passengers and others they share the road with. When they abuse this responsibility and cause injuries or deaths, they can be held accountable in civil or criminal court.

Source: PatriotLedger.com, “Hanover man charged in fatal car accident on Christmas,” Patrick Ronan, Dec. 28, 2012