According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), over 10,000 Americans will die in DUI accidents by the end of 2011. Who will be responsible for these fatalities? Surprisingly, it may not be some of the drunkest drivers on the road. Some drivers get so inebriated that they end up driving nowhere, and people who are barely capable of turning a key are easy to spot on the roads, and are often arrested before they can do any damage.

Who does that leave? Not the people you’d expect. Let’s look at a few cases and support the argument.

Teri Comer – BAC .72%

At the time of her arrest, Terry Comer surpassed Oregon’s legal limit of .08% blood alcohol content (BAC) by a whopping nine times – enough to drink eight college freshman under the table. Thankfully, police found Comer passed out in her car, which was stuck in a snow bank with the engine running. Winter: it’s not always a bad thing.

Marguerite Engle – BAC .70%

When police found Marguerite Engle, she was passed out in a stolen delivery truck. Then, when she didn’t arrive at her court date, police found her passed out in a stolen car. It’s not clear whether she stole the vehicles to make booze runs or thought they were her own thanks to a bizarre case of automotive beer goggles. But one thing is clear: Engle couldn’t physically drive.

Willard Ashley III  – BAC .69%

For some people, a hunting trip turns into a drinking outing, as demonstrated by Willard Ashley III’s blood alcohol content after a day of deer hunting. Ashley was arrested in Indiana with a BAC of .69% as he sat in his wrecked car, waiting for a tow truck. Ashley didn’t shoot a deer that day, but he did kill a vehicle.

Meagan Harper –  BAC .55%

Beer and pizza have complementary tastes, but Meagan Harper drank a pitcher of Budweiser to go along with every slice. After she’d spent the night tippling at an Oregon pizza joint, police found Harper asleep in her car, still in the establishment’s parking lot. Instead of going to jail, she went to the hospital.

Cloyd Dull – BAC .53%

Dull’s last name describes the state he was in after he drank enough whiskey to kill a horse. Like the people above, he was sitting in his vehicle, passed out from drinking so much that, oddly enough, he may have saved his own life. Today, his BAC of .53% is still the highest in Ohio’s history.

Stanley Kobierowski  – BAC .49%

After taking to the open road with a BAC of .49%, Kobierowski proceeded to hit a highway message board. When police arrived, he used his liquid courage to resist arrest, but he was soon chauffeured to jail. No word on whether the message board featured an image of Crown Royal.

Rebecca Lingbloom – BAC .50%  

Rebecca Lingbloom was also found passed out in her vehicle, but not before doing more swerving than Bo and Luke Duke. Lingbloom’s BAC of .50% stands as Washington’s highest, and it apparently pickled her logic: she believed that she shouldn’t be charged with DUI, because she wasn’t driving at the time of her arrest.

Deanna Jarret – BAC .47%

Deanna Jarret is a Washington policewoman who decided to see what a DUI arrest felt like from the other side of the badge. After rear-ending two vehicles just minutes apart, she was arrested and placed behind the same bars that she normally slammed shut. The moral of the story: donuts are the smarter way to achieve a dopamine rush.

Denise Thompson – BAC .41%

As if having a BAC of .41% weren’t controversial enough, Denise Thompson decided to go joyriding with an 8-year-old ward of the state. Challenging the association between high BAC and high octane, Thompson led Nebraska police on a long, low-speed chase before she finally pulled over and surrendered.

Kim Marshall – BAC .40%

When Kim Marshall drove through McDonald’s, she nearly redefined the concept by almost ramming the building. The restaurant’s manager called the cops, who arrested Marshall shortly after her bizarre drive-through escapade. Her BAC was five times the legal limit, and police remarked that Marshall seemed to be in a “haze.” The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese didn’t help matters.

What Have We Learned?

The drunkest drivers on the road are also the easiest to spot – as long as your local Roscoe P. Coltrane is on patrol. While extremely inebriated drivers pose a very serious threat before they’re apprehended (or on country roads where no one’s keeping watch), in cities and more populated areas it may be that moderately inebriated drivers are the greater threat. Keep a sharp eye out for them. Don’t dismiss that subtle swerve or little wobble. Stay back and stay safe, and call the police if you suspect that anything is amiss.

Have You Been Injured in A Drunk Driving Accident?

If the actions of a drunk driver have caused you injury, the New Jersey injury attorneys at Console & Hollawell can help. By consulting with a New Jersey injury lawyer from our firm, you can identify damages that the defendant should compensate, as well as the amount you may be eligible to receive.

Whether your injuries are moderate, severe or life altering, a New Jersey injury lawyer at Console & Hollawell is ready to examine your case. Call today to schedule a free consultation with one of our New Jersey injury attorneys.

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Last updated by Staff on November 1, 2011.