According to WCBD, a driver faces felony driving under the influence charges after causing a fatal motorcycle crash in Charleston County, South Carolina, on Sunday.
Alleged Drunk Driver Remains Hospitalized
Zachary Grooms, 23, was riding his motorcycle on the Isle of Palms Connector when the fatal accident happened. A man in a car pulled off of Riviera Drive and into his path, causing Grooms to crash into the car. Officials say Grooms struck the driver’s side door of the car.
Grooms suffered severe blunt force trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, reports WCBD. The driver of the car, 53-year-old Joseph Granger, suffered from injuries and is currently being treated at Medical University of South Carolina.
WCBD reports that Granger is being charged with felony DUI. He will be taken to Charleston County Detention Center after his release from the hospital.
Alcohol-impaired Driving Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28 people die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver every day. In addition,
- The cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion each year.
- In 2014, 9,967 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
- This accounts for 31 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
- Sixteen percent of motor vehicle crashes involve drugs (legal or illegal) other than alcohol.
