A New Jersey father was driving drunk before getting into a car crash that killed one of his twin sons, police said on March 27.
Ossie Thomas, 27, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Jan. 8 crash and charged with one count of vehicular homicide; two counts of endangering the welfare of a child; assault by auto; driving while suspended and causing a fatal accident, and driving while suspended and causing bodily injury, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
The monthslong investigation revealed Thomas was speeding when he attempted to turn, but lost control of his vehicle, in Mount Holly, veering into a wooded area.
One of Thomas’s twins was pronounced dead an hour after the wreck while the other was rushed to a nearby hospital, treated for a traumatic brain injury, and later released.
The criminal charges were filed based on witness accounts and the results of toxicology tests conducted on blood drawn from the defendant after the crash.
In addition the charges, Thomas was also issued multiple traffic summonses, including for driving while intoxicated, having an open container of alcohol, driving with a suspended license, and failing to properly restrain his children.
The case was set to go before a grand jury.
Drunk Driving
Almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of deaths has fallen by a third in the last three decades; however, drunk-driving crashes still claim more than 10,000 lives per year, with 10,874 recorded in 2017, or 29 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities.
Alcohol severely affects drivers, the administration noted.
“Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely,” it stated.
Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC, is a way to measure how much someone has drunk and is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. At .15, the typical effects on driving include “Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and in necessary visual and auditory information processing,” according to the administration.
Even small amounts of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2017, there were 1,837 people killed in alcohol-related crashes where drivers had lower alcohol levels than the legal limit.
“Driving after drinking is deadly. Yet it still continues to happen across the United States. If you drive while impaired, you could get arrested, or worse—be involved in a traffic crash that causes serious injury or death,” the administration added. People who plan to drink should designate a sober driver ahead of time or call a taxi, ride-sharing service, or friend.
Fatal Car Crash Statistics
The Department of Transportation said in October 2018 that there were 37,133 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in 2017, a decrease of almost 2 percent from 2016. In comparison, there was an increase of about 6.5 percent from 2015 to 2016 and an increase of about 8 percent from 2014 to 2015. Pedestrian fatalities also declined by about 2 percent.
While deaths in both categories declined, officials said more can be done. “Dangerous actions such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence are still putting many Americans, their families and those they share the road with at risk,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Heidi King in a statement.
“Additionally, we must address the emerging trend of drug-impaired driving to ensure we are reducing traffic fatalities and keeping our roadways safe for the traveling public.”
The deaths occurred over 34,247 motor vehicle crashes, resulting in 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.1 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. The highest fatality rate was in Mississippi, with 23.1 deaths per 100,000 people, and the highest death rate per 100 million miles was in South Carolina, with 1.8 deaths, according to an analysis of Department of Transportation data by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
