Milton firefighter Antonio Pickens is in critical condition at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts after being run down by an alleged drunk driver on Saturday. Pickens sustained massive injuries to his head and body when he was hit by a black Buick LeSabre Sedan while assisting motorists involved in a minor fender-bender outside the fire station where he works on Blue Hill Avenue.
Sustaining massive head injuries in a car accident can be very serious, especially if the head injuries result in traumatic brain injuries (TBI), such as hematoma (brain bruising), nerve damage, concussions, skull fractures, and permanent brain damage. Serious head injuries can lead to prolonged repercussions, including seizures, paralysis, changes in personality, changes in mental ability, loss of full use of any of the five senses, speech problems, and coma.
According to Milton Fire Lieutenant Jack Grant, doctors at the hospital have reattached Pickens’s arm, which was partially severed in the collision. Blood flow has been restored to his leg, which had sustained major arterial damage.
Recent drunk driving statistics say that there were 16,885 alcohol-related deaths in 2005. Approximately 254,000 people sustained injuries in a collision where alcohol was involved. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program says that more than 1.4 million drivers were arrested for DUI in 2004.
C.W. Tolbert, the driver of the sedan, pleaded not guilty to charges of third-offense drunken driving, driving drunk, and causing serious bodily injury and negligent driving.
According to Milton officials, the intersection of Atherton Street and Blue Hill Avenue where the accident occurred is one of several busy intersections that needs to be upgraded to ensure that the area is safer for drivers and pedestrians.
Massachusetts Firefighter Hit by Car, Firehouse.com, July 16, 2007
2005 Drunk Driving Statistics, Alcohol Alert.com
Head injury, Medline Plus
Related Web Resource:
Firefighter injuries by type of duty, National Fire Protection Association
If you are someone who has been seriously injured in a car accident because of a drunk driver or any other negligent driver in the Massachusetts, Altman & Altman LLP can help you. We have successfully represented clients in all areas of personal injury law, and we can help you file a claim or lawsuit so that you obtain the recovery that you need.
Contact Altman & Altman LLP at (617) 326-5347 or, toll-free, at (877) 721-4824. We are located in Cambridge, and we represent clients throughout the greater Boston area and elsewhere in Massachusetts.