On Tuesday, March 3, a man from Wheatland was charged with criminal vehicular homicide in a drunken driving crash.

According to the court documents, at around 5 p.m. reports came in stating a white car was forcing other vehicles off the road as it was driving north on U.S. Highway 75 near Comstock. Shortly afterwards the crash was reported involving the same car and a van.

Originally, 29 year old Robin Duane Olsen said another man was driving, who was taken to Fargo hospital with serious injuries, while a passenger died at the scene.

Olsen was charged in Clay County District Court with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation.

Court documents revealed that troopers found alcohol near the crash site and although Olson told a highway patrol officer at the scene that another man was driving, DNA evidence proved him wrong and a blood sample showed he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent.

The passenger who survived is currently in a vegetative state due to his injuries.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

On Monday, February 22, three teenagers were killed in North Dakota.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the accident happened shortly before 8.30 p.m. on Monday evening on U.S. Highway 2 in Williams County, when the 2007 Chevy Silverado pickup they were travelling in skidded across the median and was hit by a 2000 Peterbilt truck.

The three teens were teammates on the Ray High School boys’ basketball team and were named as Tanner Shawn Garman, aged 18, of Ray; 17 year old Dalen Dennis Dorval, of Epping and Waylyn McRae, aged 17, also from Ray.

The driver of the truck, a 33 year old male from Carson, was taken to Tioga Medical Center with minor injuries. His name was not released.

It was icy at the time, but it is not yet known if that was the cause of the crash, nor if the victims were wearing sea tbelts.

If you have been injured in an accident, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.

Distracted driving has always been a very real hazard and a cause of motor vehicle accidents, but today’s distractions have reached new heights. After decades of public awareness campaigns, drunk driving carries a heavy stigma along with the steep legal ramifications, but most drivers are shameless when it comes to texting while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), texting while driving is six time more dangerous than driving while intoxicated.

Common Distractions

Anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road and the task of driving is a distraction. When distracted drivers cause accidents they can be held financially responsible for the harm they cause to others. Texting and other device use are very dangerous distractions, but any type of distraction can lead to a tragic crash. Examples of distractions that can lead to auto accidents include:

• Texting
• Talking on the phone, even hands-free
• Taking selfies
• Other device use such as watching videos or surfing the internet
• Eating and drinking
• Personal grooming, such as combing hair or applying makeup
• Adjusting the stereo
• Looking or reaching for objects in the floorboard or backseat
• Talking to passengers
• Tending to children
• Rubbernecking
• Daydreaming

Not “Just” an Accident

Distracted drivers often claim that they only took their eye off the road for a second. While it may be an intentional act, distracted driving is negligent driving. Some distractions take drivers by surprise, but texting and many other distracting activities are a conscious choice. A choice that endangers the lives of everyone on the road.

If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by a distracted driver, we can help. Please call the Fargo accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C., at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.