Police report that an Acworth man charged in a suspected drunk driving accident which killed an Atlanta area man has an extensive criminal record. Records show that 33-year-old Timothy Van Hoose, the suspect in the incident, has arrests in three states and has been charged 13 times previously, including once for driving while intoxicated, as well as for grand larceny and drug possession. Investigators with Georgia State Patrol say they are continuing to work on the investigation and may bring more charges against Van Hoose, who is being treated in an Atlanta area hospital.
Police say Van Hoose was intoxicated and speeding when his car collided with the back of a pickup truck, pushing it into a utility pole and killing David Hannah, 27, one of the truck’s passengers. The driver of the truck, as well as the other passengers, also received mild to moderate injuries in the accident.
The failure of multiple state and local authorities to correct or punish Van Hoose’s reckless driving behavior is troubling. Statistics show that intoxication with alcohol or other substances is involved in 40 percent of fatal car and truck accidents. And while statistics also show that authorities at every level are winning the battle against intoxicated driving, accidents like this are a tragic reminder that more work needs to be done to ensure the safety of drivers on American roads.
Accident lawyers are an indispensable part of this process for several reasons. Counter-intuitively, accident lawyers are often major advocates in favor of reforms of state, local, and federal systems that improve road conditions and make driving cars and trucks on American roads safer for everyone. But the litigation process accident lawyers engage in is also an important feature of the American justice system; civil litigation, in cases like this, helps to ensure that the injured parties receive fair compensation for their injuries in a way that the criminal justice system is ill equipped to handle.
It remains to be seen whether the injured parties in this case will seek the counsel of an Atlanta truck accident lawyer, but this case has emphasized for all residents of Atlanta and the surrounding area the need for civil litigation. It not only protects citizens from dangers that criminal courts are ill equipped to handle—or even using methods that would be inappropriate for criminal courts to pursue—but it ensures the dispensation of damages and compensation in cases where there is a clear victim whose injury should be corrected.
The law office of John A. Snyder provides legal services for individuals and businesses throughout the Atlanta area. Mr. Snyder advises, litigates, and settles workers’ comp claims, car accident cases, veterans’ disability, and Social Security disability cases. At our law office, your case is personally managed by Atlanta truck accident lawyer John Snyder. If you need legal help concerning a car accident, please call our office today at 404-321-7733, or Toll Free at 1-855-WORK COMP for a free, no obligation consultation.
