Around 1:20 a.m. Sunday November 1, 2009, at County Road 540A near Scott Lake Elementary, Lakeland, FL, a Mulberry driver whose vehicle struck a Verizon communications box, left 500 South Lakeland, FL, homes without telephone and Internet service, Verizon officials said.
According to the Lakeland Ledger, Christina Leclair, 24, was driving west on C.R. 540A, Lakeland, FL, when her 1999 Dodge Durango sports utility truck drifted off the road and struck the box and then a wooden residential fence, Polk County Sheriff's officials said.
It is not known if Leclair was under the influence of alcohol, which could have contributed to the car crash, or if she was wearing seat belt. Blood samples have been submitted for testing, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office spokesman Scott Wilder.
Full service isn't expected to be restored until sometime Tuesday, said Verizon spokesman Bob Elek. "We've been working around the clock to get that restored," he said.
The replacement box has been received by Verizon crews, but the process of repairing the communications conduit is a "painstaking" process, he said.
Verizon technicians, surrounded by flood lights, worked throughout the night Monday.
No charges have been filed in the case, which remains under investigation.
According to the Florida Drunk Driving Statistics, In Florida, the percentage of alcohol related fatalities peaked in 1983, while the actual number of alcohol related deaths peaked in 1986. In 2008, out of all traffic fatalities, 29% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, with 875 fatalities.
All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The first offense is known either as driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI), or operating while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). The second offense is called "illegal per se", which is driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher.
Florida codifies its laws against drunk driving in Fla. 316.193 & 775.082 which classifies 1st and 2nd offenses as a misdemeanor while 3rd or subsequent offenses are considered a 3rd degree felony.
In the State of Florida, car crash fatalities caused by DUI/DWI or OWI, have increased since 1982. There were only 2,653 car fatalities up until 2007 when car crash fatalities rose up to 34%. In 2008, the percentage of car crash related fatalities decreased to 29%, which leaves a total of 2,978 car crash fatalities while driving under the influence/intoxicated or operating a vehicle while intoxicated/impaired.
If you or a loved one is the victim of a drunk driving accident, do not hesitate to hire a lawyer.
