It happens practically every single day here in Ohio – a driver is pulled over for yet another DUI or for driving with a suspended license. The people who repeatedly break the law in this manner seemingly aren’t bothered by the punishment handed down to them by the courts. Instead, they pay their fine and then get right back on the road to the detriment of everyone around them. In some cases, those with suspended licenses and DUIs end up causing major accidents that result in the loss of life.
When Things Go Very Wrong
Back in April, four people traveling in a car on an Ashtabula road were killed by a reckless driver. All four of them, a 47-year-old woman, a 19-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man, and a 22-month-old child, lost their lives in a collision with a car driven by Donte Conard. Not only was Conard’s vehicle driving around with illegally tinted windows, but he was legally intoxicated.
Conard survived the accident. Later, authorities discovered that his driver’s license had been suspended 21 times and he had been charged in four separate instances with driving under the influence. Yet he was still on the road! He subsequently received 32 years in prison for the vehicular homicides. While some justice has been served in this case, the families of the deceased are still grieving their losses. This man should have never been on the road and had the laws been harsher, the four deaths could have been prevented.
How to Keep Multiple Offenders Off of the Road
Ohio laws for DUIs and driving with a suspended license simply aren’t harsh enough. The penalties must be more severe in order to prevent these repeat offenders from getting back on the road. In most cases, only a fine is levied, and while the vehicle may be impounded, there’s nothing stopping these offenders from getting behind the wheel again.
The laws need to be changed in order to keep these drivers, some of whom have DUIs in the double digits, from driving on their suspended licenses. That’s the only way that a loss of life of this magnitude can be prevented in the future. Only then will these drivers learn their lesson and remain off of the road when they have been drinking or fail to hold a legal license.
Have you or a loved one been injured or killed in an accident caused by a repeat offender? If so, call me today and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
