• February 16, 2017

Anthony LaPorte Injured in Syracuse, NY, DWI Accident

Syracuse, NY -- February 14, 2017, Anthony LaPorte was killed following an accident in which was hit by a drunk driver while walking.

According to Syracuse authorities, the incident occurred just after 6:00 p.m. in the 300 block of Bear Street West, southeast of Destiny USA.

15-year-old LaPorte was reportedly walking along Bear at the time. As he did so, a 55-year-old man named James Draveck drove past and struck the teenager in the roadway. Immediately following the collision, Draveck fled the scene.

EMS arrived on the scene, and they transported LaPorte to a nearby hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police were able to locate Draveck after the crash, and they placed him under arrest.

At this time, Draveck faces charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a serious personal injury crash, and first-degree vehicular assault.

No further information is currently available as investigations continue.

Map of the Area

Commentary

New York and several other states recognize that these businesses sometimes in the best position to prevent drunk driving accidents. To that end, they've made laws that allow negligent alcohol vendors to be held liable for contributing to drunk driving accidents.

If you want to know why holding people accountable is so important, one doesn't need to look any further than this story. I'll admit, I'm speculating a bit, but when there's a drunk driving accident in the early evening, I can't help but suspect that a Happy Hour may have contributed to the driver's intoxication. I'm not against bars cutting deals for their patrons, but it would be foolish to deny that one of the consequences of cheap drinks is that people will drink more than they otherwise would. When drivers consume more than they should, accidents like this one frequently follow.

Some people may feel that liquor liability laws shift blame away from the driver. I'd point out that in this situation, the drunk driver got a trip to jail, the innocent boy went to the hospital, and a bar may have made a trip to the bank to deposit the money they made. Is that justice?

--Grossman Law Offices

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