Just before 4:30a.m. on December 28th, Andre Dalmeida was driving a 2015 Mustang in Memphis near Second and Brody. He struck two pedestrians near Beale Street. One victim was slightly grazed by the vehicle, but the other was taken to Regional Medical Center in critical condition. The names of the victims have been withheld from the press.

Mr. Dalmeida, 42, has been charged with two counts of vehicular assault, DUI, and reckless driving. When officers arrived on the scene, they found him crying nearby, saying that he “didn’t mean to kill anybody.” His bond was set at $75,000.

More recently, 38-year-old Delois Beasley drove her Cadillac Escalade the wrong way on I-65. She collided head-on with a Corvette, killing driver Michael Campbell and wounding passenger Terry Anderson. Ms. Beasley told investigators she had consumed “way too much alcohol.”  She will be charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication and vehicular assault.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on average someone is killed in drunk driving crash every 53 minutes. Every two minutes, someone is injured in an alcohol related accident. These preventable accidents can lead to a lifetime of suffering. While the incidence of alcohol-related accidents is declining, it is important to be able to recognize impaired motorists on the road so that you don’t become the victim of a drunk a driver. State Farm Insurance offers these tips for detecting drunk drivers. Keep an eye out for vehicles that are:

  • Making wide turns
  • Weaving, swerving, drifting, or straddling the center line
  • Almost striking an object or vehicle
  • Driving on the wrong side of the road
  • Driving at a very slow speed
  • Stopping without cause
  • Braking erratically
  • Responding slowly to traffic signals
  • Turning abruptly or illegally
  • Driving after dark with headlights off

Luckily, alcohol-related accidents seem to be waning. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, 2014 had the lowest number of incidents on record since 2004, with 4,568 recorded. Alcohol-related accidents saw a steady decline over the past decade, from 8,286 in 2004 to 6,985 in 2009. Though the number of accidents has declined, the repercussions are still very real to those affected. If a drunk driver has injured you or a loved one, please contact us today for a free consultation.