DWI Hit Parade!

Thomas Lee Stafford Lexington County Detention Center

From The State
LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC (Dec. 4, 2012) — The driver of the car that killed a state Department of Transportation worker on Interstate 20 in Lexington County Monday afternoon has been charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident, according to the state Highway Patrol.
Thomas Lee Stafford, 39, is accused of driving drunk when his 2003 Nissan SUV hit Nicholas Johnson and fatally wounded Nicholas Johnson, who was walking along the road’s emergency lane near mile marker 62, according to Highway Patrol spokesman Brent Kelly. …MORE

From Press Telegram
TORRANCE — Two alleged drunken drivers – including a Norwalk resident – hit each other and then plowed into a construction crew on the San Diego (405) Freeway in the South Bay Sunday morning, killing two road workers.
A third worker, who was walking around after the crash, was taken to Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center with minor to moderate injuries, said California Highway Patrol Officer Dion Conley.
The crash was reported to the CHP at 3:35 a.m.
The two workers were identified as Ramon Lopez, 56, of Chino Hills, and Ricardo Zamora, 58, of Winchester, said Lt. Cheryl MacWillie of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. They were employed by a contracting firm under Caltrans supervision.
A blue Ford Explorer driven by Yocio Jonathan Gomez, 23, of Norwalk, smashed into the rear of a black Lexus RX-350 SUV driven by
Stephan Christopher Caserta, 43, of Playa Vista, Conley said.
“As it turns out, one of the motorists (Caserta) was slowing down as he saw the construction site. He was rear-ended by the other motorist, which caused them both to drive into the construction zone,” said CHP Officer Ed Jacobs.
The sport utility vehicle spun out control and hit the three workers…..MORE

From KVAl
NEAR CANBY, Ore. – A construction worker was hit and killed by a car Tuesday evening just north of Canby and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said the driver who hit him was under the influence.
Deputies identified the 40-year-old worker as Gregory Priest of Salem.
Priest was hit at about 7:40 p.m. on South New Era road near South Haines Road near Canby. Deputies said he was putting out signs warning of road work ahead when he was hit.
Deputies said Bruce Dancer, 41, has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants. Other charges may be pending.
Jail records show that Dancer is from Aurora, Ore.
Canby Fire Department personnel tried to resuscitate Priest before he was flown by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital where he was pronounced dead. …MORE

 
From Press-Enterprise
A construction worker struck last week by a drunken driver who barreled down a closed highway entrance ramp in Riverside died Sunday, multiple sources said.
Barry Steele, 51, of Beaumont, was fatally injured Wednesday night on the entrance ramp from Van Buren Boulevard to westbound Highway 91. Crews were widening the Van Buren overpass of the freeway and expanding entrance and exit ramps in the area.
According to witnesses and the CHP, Brandi Holmes, 21, used a closed turn lane to enter the ramp — cordoned off with signs and barriers but accessible as workers brought equipment in and out. Workers in trucks tried to alert her, but she kept going down the ramp, hitting a loader, a concrete barrier and eventually Steele, a worker with Skanska U.S.A. Civil.
Steele, a popular soccer coach in the San Gorgonio Pass area and the father of Cal State San Bernardino soccer standouts Barry, Brandon, Brent and Brock Steele, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. His condition never improved……MORE

From WSPA News Channel 7
Misty Dawson, the woman accused of hitting and killing a department of transportationworker appeared before a judge Thursday morning. Dawson testified she took prescription medication for nausea and pain before she left work sick from the Bi-Lo corporate offices. She’s charged with felony DUI resulting in death.    ….MORE
SC Dept. of Transportation began highway safety campaign the day before worker Noah Lark was killed

From Greenvilleonline: Driver knew pills she popped were powerful…but she gambled…on another’s life!

“I was thinking it wouldn’t be in effect until I got home,” Dawson said.