According to WATE, two people were fatally injured in a crash involving an impaired driver in Maryville, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon.
About the Fatal Wreck
The fatal car accident occurred along Highway 411 a few miles south of Maryville. A car traveling southbound was hit by an impaired driver driving northbound that crossed over the center dividing line.
WATE reports that 28-year-old Matthew Sherwood was killed in the crash. Sherwood was a passenger in the car that was traveling southbound. Rebecca Kirkland, 49, the passenger in the impaired driver’s vehicle, also died in the accident. Four other passengers between the two vehicles were injured in the crash.
The suspected impaired driver, 54-year-old David Kirkland, tested positive for drugs at the scene, according to WATE. Kirkland was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault, DUI, and reckless driving.
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.
