Canton, OH — A man was hospitalized following an accident police say was caused by alcohol. The accident took place at the intersection of Saratoga Avenue and Navarre Road in Canton, Ohio, on Monday, December 15, 2014.
Police say it was around 4:00 in the afternoon when a man driving a Honda Civic was headed south on Saratoga and crashed into a pickup truck that was turning to head east on Navarre. It’s not clear if it was a front or rear-end collision.
There were no passengers inside either vehicle. Police have not released the name of either driver.
The driver of the Civic fled the scene of the accident. Police found and arrested him a short time later and say that charges related to DUI are pending. The investigation continues.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
The fact that police suspect alcohol in this accident could potentially change the way it’s handled going forward. Many states in the nation have what are known as dram shop laws. These are laws that were designed to help regulate the safe sale of alcohol. Not every state has them, and the ones that do will typically put their own twist on them. In Ohio, establishments that serve liquor cannot sell to someone who is noticeably intoxicated. If they do, and that person then goes out and gets into an accident, the bar can be held liable. These laws aren’t designed to help the driver shirk responsibility in these situations — on the contrary, they need to be held accountable — but to hold everyone involved responsible for the role they played. And believe me, a bar serving someone three o r four drinks past their limit is definitely playing a role. Was a bar involved in this accident? We don’t know. Hopefully the police will be able to shed some light on that subject.
— Grossman Law Offices
