On Tuesday, February 11th, the Casper Police Department’s night shift team spent their evening cleaning up the mess caused by three separate alcohol and drug involved crashes.
Miraculously, no one sustained life-threatening injuries. But the damage caused by these drivers was felt by many.
The first occurred shortly before 6:30pm when a suspected alcohol-impaired driver rammed into the back of a fifth-wheel trailer before crashing into a telephone pole near Metro Road and Bryan Stock Trail. After multiple agencies rescued the man trapped inside his vehicle, he went to the hospital for treatment. Charges are still being investigated and alcohol is being investigated as a contributing factor.
The second crash happened near the 1700 block of Oakcrest Avenue. The driver admitted to taking his eyes off the road when he drove into a large snowbank, flipping his vehicle. Officers found marijuana inside the vehicle. The usage of marijuana is being investigated as a contributing factor in this crash. The driver was arrested for possession of marijuana and careless driving.
The third and most devastating crash happened near the 1700 block of South McKinley when a suspected alcohol-impaired driver crossed into oncoming traffic, collided with a parked vehicle, drove through a front yard, hit another parked vehicle ramming a trailer with four-wheelers into a house, before driving down a sidewalk and spinning out, finally driving onto the front porch of another home, hitting the house. The driver was cleared by emergency services and arrested for DUI, no insurance and having an open container in his vehicle.
All of these alcohol and drug involved crashes could have been so much worse. Lives could have been lost and homes could have been destroyed. Somehow, everyone was okay. As one of the many first-responding agencies that see these devastating incidents first hand, we have experienced the destruction these crashes can cause.
Every bit of it is preventable.
The Casper Police Department has absolutely no tolerance for anyone who has been drinking or using drugs and gets behind the wheel of a vehicle. If you drive impaired in Casper, you will get arrested. The selfish choice of one can negatively impact an entire community.
There are so many options available if you need a sober driver such as Uber, Lyft, local taxi services or Natrona County Safe Ride.
Helping to prevent impaired driving is all of our responsibility. Do not tolerate it. We believe it takes all of us working together to positively impact change. #bettertogether