Animals, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, 1965

We are back again with more wrong-way driving incidents on the interstate highway system across America. Let’s do the tally:

Places with and alleged reasons for Wrong-way drivers:

Honolulu, Hawaii with a young man balancing two jobs and probably tired (It is unknown at this time if speed, drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, which occurred under clear skies in a well-lit area of the freeway.).

South Kingstown, Rhode Island, here is a quote: “Woods failed to perform the field sobriety tests to the satisfaction of the officers and was subsequently placed under arrest.”; moving on we head to

Doralville, Georgia where the wrong-way driver is reported by the news source to have been driving under the influence and after driving the wrong direction on Interstate 20 struck the car of a police officer, killing the detective. Another linked story with video. Mug shot of suspect.

Pewaukee, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, I-94 – “The Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office is now reporting Ewing had a blood alcohol level of .35, nearly five times the legal limit.”

Franklin, Indiana – Johnson County, U.S. 31 south – “ … arrested on charges of operating while intoxicated, burglary and possession of stolen property, Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox said.”

Chaska, Minnesota, Audobon Road – cause unreported although there is a hint in the following quote: “A Shakopee man was killed and three people were injured in a head-on collision Friday evening in Chaska.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Interesting story, FOX6 Investigation: What do all nine wrong way driving incidents have in common?

Nine wrong way driving cases on Milwaukee freeways in 2011

In 2009 nationwide, more than 1,700 people died in wrong way crashes. The problem has gotten so bad in Arizona that officials are now testing sensors that will detect if there is a wrong way driver, and notify others on the highway with electronic signs. Highway safety experts say all you can really do if you come in contact with a wrong way driver, is flash your high beams, and try to determine what lane the driver is in. Most often, they'll be in the fast lane, because they think they're in the slow lane.

Hartford, Connecticut – I-84 near exit 47. “A man from Windsor is facing DUI charges after a wrong-way crash Wednesday night on I-84 in Hartford” A second link to this incident.

“Martin Ballines Rios, 40, was driving south in the northbound lane of Audobon Road at Wildflower Lane just before 7:30 p.m. when he struck a pickup truck driving north.

Ballines Rios died at the scene.

The truck's driver and two passengers, all from Victoria, Minn., were treated at Ridgeview Hospital in Chaska and released, according to the Chaska Police Department.

Alcohol was detected on Ballines Rios, according to the State Patrol. “

Boone County, Indiana – I-465. “Investigators say open alcohol containers were found in the Pontiac.”

Here are links to all of these incidents. Remember we’ve been covering wrong-way driving cases for several years so if you want more information due to a relative or friend who died because of a wrong-way driver give us a call we’d love to talk to you. And check out the top reasons for wrong-way collisions, how to recognize when a wrong-way driver may be coming and how to avoid being struck by a wrong-way driver. It’s at the bottom of this page.

Investigators: Wrong-Way Driver Caused Fatal H-2 Crash
KITV Honolulu
According to traffic investigators, one driver is dead and two others injured after a wrong-way driver caused a three-car crash on the H-2 freeway Saturday morning. Investigators said the crash occurred around 2:20 am Saturday on the H-2 freeway ...

Police Log: Wrong Way Driver Charged With DUI
Patch.com
By Carl Critz Gwendoline Woods, 62, of 2 Colony Rd. in Charlestown was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC of .15 percent or greater on Wednesday, November 16 around 8:50 pm after a traffic stop on Route 1. ...

Wrong way driver causes fatal crash on H-2 Freeway
KHON2
A 40 year-old Wahiawa man was killed when he was hit head-on by a wrong way driver on the H-2 Freeway Saturday morning. It happened at 2:20 am on the north-bound direction near Ka Uka Blvd. Police say a 21 year-old man from Waianae, driving a 1992 ...

DORAVILLE: Wrong-way driver had multiple DUI arrests
WXIA-TV
DORAVILLE, GA -- 11Alive News has learned that man accused of killing a Doraville police detective while allegedly driving drunk and in the wrong direction on Interstate 20 has had several prior arrests, including two drunk driving charges. ...

Wrong-way driver was four times legal limit
Today's TMJ4
By The WTMJ News Team PEWAUKEE - The driver in a double fatal wrong-way crash in Waukesha County was reportedly far over the legal limit. Dawn Ewing crashed head-on into a car after driving about 8 miles the wrong way in the eastbound lanes on I-94 ...

Driver was DUI in wrong-way I-20 crash that killed Doraville cop, police say
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By Mike Morris and David Ibata A 39-year-old Dunwoody man was charged Tuesday with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence in a wrong-way crash that killed a police detective on I-20 in DeKalb County, authorities said. ...

Wrong-way driver arrested in Franklin burglaries
Daily Journal
Police responding to a report of a home break-in south of Franklin found the suspect, who was driving the wrong way in the southbound lanes of US 31. In his car, they found a laptop computer and a breast pump that had been taken from the home. ...

Wrong-way driver killed, three hurt in Chaska
Pioneer Press
Martin Ballines Rios, 40, was driving south in the northbound lane of Audobon Road at Wildflower Lane just before 7:30 pm when he struck a pickup truck driving north. The truck's driver and two passengers, all from Victoria, Minn., were treated at ...

Wrong-way driver causes deadly crash on interstate
Fox 59
The driver of the Pontiac died at the scene. His identity has not been release. His passenger and three passengers in the SUV were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators say open alcohol containers were found in the ...

Wrong Way Driver Almost Hits Police Cruiser
KRIS Corpus Christi News
CORPUS CHRISTI - For the second night in a row a suspected drunk driver has been arrested for going the wrong way on city streets. A Corpus Christi police officer had to swerve to get out of the way of a Chevy Silverado heading the wrong way on ...

Tests Show Wrong-Way Driver In Fatal Was Drunk - Milwaukee ...
WAUKESHA, Wis. -- Toxicology shows a wrong-way driver in fatal crash was legally drunk. Friday, November 18, 2011.

Wrong-way driver was four times legal limit - 620 WTMJ ...
The driver in a double fatal wrong-way crash in Waukesha County was reportedly far over the legal limit.

Doraville Officer Killed In Wrong Way Crash « CBS Atlanta
By psati
Investigators say a Doraville police officer on his way to work, was killed early Monday, when a wrong way driver slammed into his car on I-20, in a pre dawn crash in DeKalb County.

DORAVILLE: Wrong-way driver had multiple DUI arrests | 11alive.com
DORAVILLE, GA -- 11Alive News has learned that man accused of killing a Doraville police detective while allegedly driving drunk and in the wrong direction on ...

Georgia Police Officer Killed by Wrong-Way Driver - Officer.com
Georgia Police Officer Killed by Wrong-Way Driver. Video. Created: November 14 , 2011. Recommend · Twitter · Share · Print ...

Wrong Way Driver Almost Hits Police Cruiser | Corpus Christi, TX ...
CORPUS CHRISTI - For the second night in a row a suspected drunk driver has been arrested for going the wrong way on city streets.

YouTube wrong way crash driver Shazida Begum banned
BBC News
A woman who admitted driving the wrong way down the slip road of a busy dual carriageway and crashing into two lorries has been fined and banned. The crashes happened in March on the A90 Aberdeen to Stonehaven road. Begum, 21, was fined £700 and banned ...

Driver was DUI in wrong-way I-20 crash that killed Doraville cop, police say
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By Mike Morris and David Ibata A 39-year-old Dunwoody man was charged Tuesday with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence in a wrong-way crash that killed a police detective on I-20 in DeKalb County, authorities said. ...

FOX6 Investigation: What do all nine wrong way driving incidents have in common?
FOX6Now.com Milwaukee
There have been several wrong-way drivers on Milwaukee's freeways, who eventually end up involved in crashes. The latest involved Dawn Ewing, who drove the wrong way for at least seven miles, before hitting the vehicle driven by father of three, ...

Wrong-way driver arrested in Franklin burglaries
Daily Journal
Police responding to a report of a home break-in south of Franklin found the suspect, who wasdriving the wrong way in the southbound lanes of US 31. In his car, they found a laptop computer and a breast pump that had been taken from the home. ...

Wrong-way driver on Hwy. 61 causes accident
Winona Daily News
An intoxicated underage Winona woman drove the wrong way on US Hwy. 61 Friday night, causing one crash that injured a woman before a second driver followed her and turned her in, according to the Minnesota State Patrol and Winona County Sheriff's ...

Wrong-way driver fleeing police goes to HPD parking lot
Houston Chronicle
Clark said York entered the 610 Loop in the Bellaire area going the wrong way and drove to US 290. Oncoming motorists had to maneuver out of his path. At times the chase reached speeds up to about 80 mph. York exited the freeway at Tidwell, driving the ...

SAPD arrests wrong-way driver on suspicion of DWI
KENS 5 TV
by Stacia Willson / KENS 5 A wrong-way driver sent police officers on a short chase overnight, and as it turns out, the suspect may have been intoxicated. San Antonio police received reports about an erratic driver at about 1:45 am Monday. ...

New technologies could prevent wrong-way drivers
Today's TMJ4
Drivers take a wrong turn and end up driving the wrong-way on the highway. The most recent case ended with two people killed. Wrong-way sensors have worked in North Texas. "We had a 44% percent reduction in wrong-way crashes and a 100% reduction in ...

Fugitive wanted in wrong-way fatal crash that killed Queens bar owner George ...
New York Daily News
He was sought for being the wrong-way driver who slammed his girlfriend's car into a livery cab in Queens last month, killing the livery passenger, Maspeth bar owner George Gibbons. Authorities pinched a fugitive in Connecticut Tuesday who was wanted ...

Man driving wrong way on SPID suspected of drunken driving, Corpus Christi ...
Corpus Christi Caller Times
An off-duty police technician reported a blue 1997 Pontiac Firebird going the wrong way on the highway near the Laguna Shores Drive exit, according to a news release. Police stopped the driver, who appeared intoxicated. He failed a field sobriety test, ...

Police: Drunk wrong-way driver kills man | Local & Regional News ...
One person is dead and at least one person is injured after an accident Tuesday night on I-105 in Eugene.
KVAL 13 - Local & Regional News...

Doraville Officer Killed In Wrong Way Crash « CBS Atlanta
By psati
Investigators say a Doraville police officer on his way to work, was killed early Monday, when a wrong way driver slammed into his car on I-20, in a pre dawn crash in DeKalb County.
CBS Atlanta

SAPD arrests wrong-way driver on suspicion of DWI | kens5.com ...
A wrong-way driver sent police officers on a short chase overnight, and as it turns out, the suspect may have been intoxicated.

Wrong-way driver faces DUI charges - WFSB Channel 3
A man from Windsor is facing DUI charges after a wrong-way crash Wednesday night on I-84 in Hartford.

Wrong-way driver on Hwy. 61 causes accident
An intoxicated underage Winona woman drove the wrong way on U.S. Hwy. 61 Friday night, causing one crash that injured a woman before a second driver ...

Wrong-way driver in deadly crash had prior DUI arrest | 11alive.com
Wrong-way driver in deadly crash had prior DUI arrest. 5:28 PM, Nov 15, 2011 | comments. Gene Jones has been charged with DUI in the death of a Det. Shane ...

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Wrong-way Drivers on the interstate highway

If you think wrong-way drivers on the Interstate Highway system is a once-in-a-while thing, think again. Look at these reports from Google. It seems like there is an epidemic of wrong-way collisions and crashes out there. We've had several wrong-way drivers and accidents in Iowa.

About wrong-way drivers

Wrong way drivers present an obvious danger to all motorists on our highways. 

The most recent available crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates wrong way drivers are involved in 1.5 percent of all fatal crashes.

Drivers who travel the wrong way on one way highways generally fall into one of eight different categories: 

• Intoxicated driver
• Older drivers who easily get confused
• Purposeful acts including attempts to commit suicide and criminals attempting to elude the police
• Inattentive drivers who mistake an off-ramp for an on-ramp
• Mental defect or disease
• Prescription drug intoxication
• Inexperience
• GPS providing incorrect, inaccurate or confusing information

Safety tips and information related to wrong way driver situations: 

• Watch far ahead for signs of a possible wrong way driver, looking for signs similar to pending problems or developing emergency situations such as other traffic braking or swerving to avoid something, or the obvious - headlights coming in the opposite direction.
• Caution against driving long periods in the left lane on freeways, especially on curves and over a hill or any rise in the road where you aren’t able to clearly see ahead.
• Be aware that wrong way drivers usually drive in the passing lane believing they are actually on a two-lane highway.
• The most common types of wrong way crashes are head-on or sideswipe crashes.

What should you do if you see a wrong-way driver?

• Get to the shoulder and stop.
• If you can’t get to the shoulder, slow down and attempt to safely stop your vehicle by pulling to the right.
• Sound your horn.
• Put on your lights and flash the high beams.
• Call 9-1-1.
• Before getting in the car wear your seat belts.
• Drive in the right hand lane of travel on the Interstate.
• When passing or coming to the crest of a hill look ahead for a wrong-way driver making sure the lane is clear.
• Assume when in the left hand lane of a divided highway that you may come upon a wrong-way driver.
• When driving on a divided highway stay vigilant and pay attention to what is ahead of you. Avoid allowing distractions to take your attention off the road ahead.

How can drivers avoid wrong-way driving?

• Don’t drive drunk.
• When coming to a divided highway come to a complete stop, look at and read the signs, making sure you know which way to go.
• Don’t allow vehicles to the rear to rush you.
• Stay off the telephone when driving.
• Don’t allow distractions to interfere with being vigilant about your driving.
• If you’re a young driver, don’t drive when the other passengers are a distraction.
• If you’re an elderly driver, get evaluated once a year to see if your senses and skill level allow you to safely drive. Don’t be so stubborn about giving up your driver’s license that you ignore the signs of perception difficulties. Invest in and use a GPS.
• Pay particular attention when driving north for southbound wrong-way drivers. For whatever reason there were more of these direction wrong-way drivers than any other.
• Pay particular attention when driving after midnight and 2:30 a.m.

What else needs to happen to reduce wrong-way collisions?

• States could identify the locations of repeated wrong-way entry points. Those points could be redesigned including tire puncture equipment such as we see in use at most parking ramps.
• The Court’s must get very tough on drunk drivers and those who cause collisions from being on cell phones (talking or texting); more than they already have been.
• The DOT should begin an education campaign for drivers to recognize and avoid wrong-way drivers.
• The DOT should begin an education campaign to instruct drivers what to do when a wrong-way driver approaches.
• States should further study wrong-way avoidance road and sign designs.
• State DOT’s should consider a different middle line design with hash marks bent in the direction of travel and against the opposing direction.
• Juries in civil actions need to send a clear message to offenders with large punitive damage awards.
• The DOT needs to evaluate older drivers annually for visual and mental awareness; taking away driving privileges where there is risk.
• Lawyers need to plead punitive damages in wrong-way collisions.
• Victims need to be educated on what to do when they are involved in a wrong-way collision.
• Witnesses of wrong-way collisions need to get involved with identifying themselves to police officers investigating a wrong-way collision. Those witnesses may have very valuable information to helping identify the entry points, causes and preventive measures.
• DOT accident forms need to be amended to allow the collection of information to identify characteristics associated with causing wrong-way entry points, times when wrong-way collisions are most likely to occur and driver characteristics of those likely to drive the wrong-way. Children and friends of older drivers need to get involved with identifying those likely wrong-way drivers.
• States should consider a radio system that would allow public service interruptions, like what is done on television when a weather emergency is eminent. It wouldn’t be perfect (not all radios are on) but something is perhaps better than nothing.

If you’re in an accident on I-35, I-80 or I-235 or any of the other interstate highways in Iowa give me a call. If on I-35 we can help you; so feel free to contact us and as always because we’d rather you call sooner than later.

• Steve Lombardi, 1300 37^th Street, Suite 6, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
• Tel: 515-222-1110 Fax: 515-222-0718 Email: sdlombardi@aol.com