Wisconsin's college towns are active and exciting communities where residents share ideas freely and education is valued. While a great deal of learning takes place within the walls of the academic institutions, individuals also congregate in social settings where they converse and explore their questions and thoughts. The many people who live in these communities make the affected areas both interesting and congested for commuters trying to get through the towns.
A local college student was recently struck by a van while crossing a Milwaukee street on her skateboard. The driver of the van allegedly ran a red light and struck the individual before driving away from the scene of the incident. The driver stopped his vehicle when local authorities found him and the incident was witnessed by a police officer and captured on video.
The driver of the van is now facing drunk driving charges for his alleged role in the accident. The injured student is in a local hospital and is in stable condition. An accident investigation may yield more information as to why the accident occurred as other area students have expressed their concerns over the danger posed in their academic community.
This story illustrates just how quickly a serious accident can occur when a driver is impaired by alcohol. Though law enforcement and prosecutors will have to offer sufficient evidence to prove that the driver was in fact intoxicated when he struck the student, the potential consequences that the driver now faces are significant. The driver will have the opportunity to present his own defense at his trial in order to refute the drunk driving charges brought against him.
Source: Today's TMJ 4, "23-year-old Marquette student hit by alleged drunk driver Wednesday morning," Nick Montes, June 19, 2013