• 06
  • August
    2010

Car accidents can seem to occur out of nowhere. Whether they are true accidents caused by a mechanical problem, or crashes caused by someone's careless or intoxicated driving, those that suffer injuries as a result have the right to seek compensation from the responsible party.

One such incident occurred recently when three pedestrians suffered injuries when they were struck by a drunk driver on East Seventh Street in Charlotte's Elizabeth neighborhood. The driver reportedly was traveling at more than 45 miles per hour and, after the collision, drove nearly 100 feet with one of the pedestrians on the hood of her car. The car eventually left the road and came to a stop after hitting a tree.

Of the three pedestrians, one remains hospitalized at Carolinas Medical Center in fair condition. The other two were treated at Presbyterian Hospital and released on the day of the accident. The driver of the car, Kirstie Pienta, a 19-year-old from Charlotte, was last reported to be in fair condition at a local hospital.

According to witnesses, the driver had been drinking and slurring her speech within a half hour before the crash occurred. Records show she had also been cited for speeding and drunk driving in May of this year. She now faces additional charges of DWI, reckless driving, driving after consuming alcohol under the age of 21, and driving with a revoked license.

Aside from the criminal penalties, Pienta also faces the possibility of civil lawsuits brought by the people she injured. Someone injured by a drunk driver can typically bring a negligence suit and seek damages for medical bills, lost wages, wrongful death, and so on. In addition, it may be possible to bring a lawsuit against those that served alcohol to the driver under dram shop or social host liability laws.

Related Resources:

Driver hits pedestrians, charged with 2nd DWI (Charlotte Observer)