Teen Driver Violated Intermediate Licensing Statute, May Face Criminal Charges
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(866) 735-1102 Ext 580
Less than a week after receiving his driver's license, a teen driver who remains unidentified will likely have charges of vehicular assault brought against him.
The teen driver (with four other passengers, all teenagers) was reportedly speeding, driving about 70-mph in a 35-mph zone. The speeding driver failed to stop at a stop sign and swerved abruptly when he saw an oncoming car, sending his car into a ditch and then into a canal.
One of the passengers in the car, Chase Stroud, 13, was seriously injured in the accident. Stroud suffered head injuries and lacerations. Stroud was recently upgraded from critical to serious condition at St. Joseph's Hospital.
The three passengers in the car were reportedly not directly related to the driver, which means that the driver was in violation of the state law that states that in the first six months a new driver cannot have anyone else under age 20 in the car unless they are immediate family.
Our firm is currently handling a claim against the passengers of a teen who contributed to the violation of the Intermediate Licensing Statute (also known as the "graduated license" law). The statute was clearly enacted to prevent situations that have the tendency to distract new drivers. Where other teens pile into a car and either actively or passively encourage reckless driving, they should be held responsible.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.