Son of Aiken Hit & Run Driver Claims Prescription Pills to Blame

Driving under the influence of prescription drugs and even some over the counter medicines can result in vision impairments, lack of concentration, and delayed reflexes, increasing the risk for car accidents and potentially serious personal injuries. In the Aiken area, a recent tragedy involving a bicyclist killed by a hit and run driver highlights how dangerous this situation is. While the driver was eventually turned in by family members and charged with DUI, her son claims it was instead the medications she was taking that caused the accident to occur.

Aiken Bicyclist Killed by Driver Under the Influence of Medication

On June 9, 2018, WRDW reported that 29-year-old Curtis Prince was riding his bike along Chaffee St. in the early evening hours just after 8:00 p.m. when he was struck from behind by an approaching motorist. After hitting the bicyclist, the driver ended up losing control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby cemetery, knocking over several headstones before fleeing the scene. Pierce ended up dying as the result of his injuries.

It was the family of driver Debra Miller who eventually turned her in, after her husband noticed extensive damage and blood on the passenger side of her car. The police charged her with felony DUI, but in an interview with the news station, her son claims that prescription medications were actually the culprit.

While he does not deny that his mother’s actions were wrong, he claims she seemed unaware of what had occurred. When they took an inventory of all her prescription medications, they noticed that at least six were unaccounted for. There is no word yet on the type of medication she may have been on, but there are numerous painkillers, anti-anxiety medicines, sleep aids, and other prescription drugs that are all required to carry warnings regarding the dangers of taking them while operating a motor vehicle.

Drugged Driving Is A Common Problem

Prescription drug abuse, particularly cases involving opioid pain medications, have made national headlines in the past year. In addition to the risks of overdose and dangerous drug interactions, there is increasing concern about the effects these and other drugs have on driving ability.

According to a 2014 survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one out of every four drivers tested positive to operating a vehicle while under the influence of at least one drug that could cause serious enough impairments as to make a car accident more likely to occur.

Contact Us Today for Help

If you suspect prescription or over the counter medications may have played a role in a crash or collision that you’ve been involved in, contact the Surasky Law Firm, LLC to request a consultation. Our experienced South Carolina car accident attorneys thoroughly investigate each client’s case to help determine the underlying causes, so you can get the compensation you need to recover.