Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
According to a recent news feature from 12 News Now, police arrested a man in connection with a car accident, and he was reportedly naked the time of the crash. The somewhat strange car accident occurred just before 10 p.m. Thursday.
Authorities say after they received the call, they arrived on the scene of the car accident and saw a pickup truck that had been driven off the road and into a ditch. The driver was standing on the roof of the pickup truck while naked and waiving his arms and yelling, apparently trying to garner the attention of anyone who would listen – or look.
When police approached the man and his pickup truck, he allegedly got back inside the cab of the truck and locked the doors. Officers say he then tried to start the truck and flee the scene of this single-vehicle accident, but his truck was stuck in the ditch and would not move. Eventually, police were able to get him out of the vehicle and place him in handcuffs while they conducted a search of the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, they allegedly found a gun, and he was eventually charged with possession of a firearm, among other charges related to the car crash.
As part of their investigation, they determined that the suspect was under the influence of PCP. While they did not say how they made such a determination, there are generally two things police will do to make such a conclusion. The first is that PCP is now mostly sold in a liquid form, unlike the powder commonly known as “Angel Dust” from years past, and this liquid has a very strong chemical odor that is very similar to the ether used in vehicles and is hard to miss.
The second way police will find probable cause that a person is driving under the influence of PCP is a test for what is known as a vertical gaze nystagmus (VGN). As part of the test where the officer asks a suspect to follow his or her pen, light or finger (the HGN test), the officer will turn the stimulus upward and look for the presence of a VGN, which typically indicates the suspect is either on PCP, or extremely drunk.
After his arrest, he was taken to the hospital for treatment for PCP and likely a blood test to verify the presence of PCP or any other toxicology results in his blood. It should be noted that he is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty in a court of law by a judge or jury.
While many people think of drunk driving as a major cause of car accidents, and it is, our Boston car accident lawyers are seeing more and more cases where at-fault drivers were under the influence of drugs at the time of a crash. Drugged driving is not only illegal, but it is also negligent and can be the basis for proving liability in a car accident lawsuit, just as being under the influence of alcohol can be used as evidence.
If you are injured in an accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Naked man charged following one vehicle accident in Beaumont, August 11, 2016, 12 News Now, By Sheri Aldrich
More Blog Entries:
Car Accident Lawsuit Victim Awarded $800k in Judgement Against City for Worker Negligence, June 29, 2016, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog