More whiskey plates and accident update

My insurance gave me a settlement offer. His insurance also gave me a settlement offer. Guess who’s settlement offer was better. Yup, not his. I guess RISK insurance companies don’t really want to pay out their money even if the insured is paying a hefty premium for their services. Suffice it to say I took the settlement offer from MY insurance carrier. Now they have the joy of going after his insurance for reimbursement. At least I don’t have the headache of doing that!

My back still hurts. I’m still seeing a physical therapist for that. Luckily my hubby didn’t have any issues with his back or anything. I must admit…we were darn lucky. We could have been going much faster, my car could have had different tires on it so that it didn’t have such good traction on the road, I could have had less time to react, he could have been going faster, he could have hit us FULL head on.

I’m still seeing whiskey plates everywhere I go. I can’t always take pictures of them 😦 Sometimes it is just me in the car and I can’t risk trying to take a picture and drive at the same time. However, my hubby has been able to snap a few shots of whiskey plates as we’ve been out and about.

This poor gal, not only is her car (with 2 little munchkins sitting in the back seat in car seats) sporting whiskey plates, she was parked in a no parking zone clearly marked with yellow paint on the curb!

More whiskey plates

Hmmm, here’s that liquor store again. This time it is a different car and whiskey plate.

WN1981

WP2989

WP2674

WP2359

WP1783

WP1624

WP0715

They look pretty cool using a flash at night!

WP0203

WN1975

Whiskey plates around and about

As promised I’ve got some whiskey plates to show. These were taken some time during the past year or so.

Not all cars are being driven by the dwi/dui offender. Please remember that. Occassionally family members are subjected to driving the vehicles.

If a driver breaks the law all plates for all vehicles in their name are to be surrendered. The vehicles must then be reregistered with whiskey plates. The plates are valid for a year.

WR8349

WR8349

WR6437

WR6437

WR4330

WR4330

Do we really think we should be parking outside a liquor store?

WR4221

WT9183

WT0394

WT6870

WT6412

WT3271

WT9729

WP5491

WP7111

WP8009

WP8909

WP9162

Whiskey plates, what are they?

Whiskey plates are special issue license plates.  They can be found on automobiles and motorcycles.  They signify that either the owner or the vehicle was involved during an alcohol related driving incident.  The standard license plates are confiscated and special plates are issued.  The plates start with W followed by one more  letter and four numbers (ex. WN1334).  The plates are valid for one year.  The plates are issued in the following circumstances:

• A prior DWI/DUI in the past 10 years.
• Driving with a BAC (blood alcohol content) greater than .20
• A DWI/DUI with a child in the vehicle

The person convicted of DWI/DUI must reregister all vehicles owned (not just the vehicle involved in the incident).  Also, it is illegal for the individual involved to drive any other vehicle, borrowed or new, without the special plates.

DWI laws in Minnesota

I’m not an attorney by any stretch of the imagination.  I’m just an ordinary gal trying to get by in life.  However, I’ve done a little research on the matter.  DWI laws are pretty near and dear to my heart at this moment while I recover from THE ACCIDENT.  I used to be confused when folks referred to 4th, 3rd and/or 2nd degree DWI.  For those of you who are wondering 4th is the least severe.  As the number of offenses increase (or your level of intoxication increases) so do the penalties (as they should).  However, I’ve found that many drunk drivers are very good at evading REAL punishment for the crime. 

The criminal penalties are as follows (according to the doc found here):

Fourth-Degree DWI – misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days of jail and a $1,000 fine (for the person’s first impaired driving violation within ten years without test refusal or any aggravating factors)

Third-Degree DWI – a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year of jail and a $3,000 fine (for the person’s second impaired driving violation within ten years or first such violation with test refusal or another aggravating factor)

Second-Degree DWI – also a gross misdemeanor (for the person’s third impaired driving violation within ten years or second such violation with test refusal or one other aggravating factor, or first such violation with two aggravating factors)

First-Degree DWI – felony, punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment and a $14,000 fine (for the person’s fourth impaired driving violation within ten years or anytime following a previous felony DWI or criminal vehicular operation conviction; other aggravating factors are not considered)

Aggravating Factors
These include:
– a qualified prior impaired driving incident within the preceding ten years;
– an alcohol concentration of .20 or more upon arrest (but not for first-degree DWI);
– the presence of a child under age 16 in the vehicle, if more than 36 months younger
than the offender (but not for first-degree DWI).

If I’ve misstated something please correct me.

They guy who hit me headon had one previous conviction in Minnesota and it was for 3rd degree DWI.  He skipped over the 4th degree DWI because his BAC (blood alcohol content) was over .20.  The legal limit is .08.   For our accident his BAC was .19 so it appears his charge will be 3rd degree DWI again.  Had he had one more drink or had the test been administered after less time had elapsed he could have had 2 aggravating factors and been charged with a more serious crime.

I’m not vindictive but I am in pain.  I would like to see him suffer some of that same pain.  My life has been turned upside down by this.  I had a nice car.  I now have NO car.  I know…insurance will pay me for the car.  That is all fine and dandy but I was still paying for the car.  Now I have to pay off that car and go car shopping again and start all over.  I have doctors to see for my back.  I find it hard to sit for any length of time (I have a desk job).  I’m not looking for sympathy.  I’m looking for justice.  I’m paying for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I think his penalty should be a little more than a couple hundred dollars fine and a few days in jail.

The accident, revisited

Well, I got the news I didn’t want to get…my car was totalled. Here is my car from another angle. It doesn’t look that bad. Bad, but not THAT bad

Just because I’m in one of those moods I’ve included 2 whiskey plates I’ve run into recently (WP3996 & WP1524).

The accident

On Friday the hubby and I were heading out to dinner when the accident occurred.  We were having a pleasant conversation while I drove.  I always drive.  That is just the way of it.  Normally I don’t mind.  However, this is one time I wish I’d have asked him to drive.

Almost to our destination and to my surprise there was a vehicle coming straight at us the wrong way on the freeway. To make a long story short, we collided. The front of my vehicle with the side of the DRUNK DRIVER’s vehicle! To add insult to injury, the car was sporting a nice Whiskey Plate. Finally the driver had enough wits about him to know what he did was WRONG and he proceeded to take off on foot. Thankfully the police were right there to apprehend the guy!

So, here is my car after the accident

Here is the other guy’s vehicle

And lastly, here is his whiskey plate (WN8704)