On June 30, 2014 Amanda Lynn Pardue was driving on Georgia Highway 11 in Hall County, Georgia when her Ford Explorer crossed the median and hit a tractor trailer head on. There were five (5) people in her vehicle at the time of the crash including Pardue’s eight (8) year old daughter, Kayleigh, her two (2) year old son, Eli, a man named Robbie Hollis, and his grandson, Dalton Martin, age 13. It was unknown where they were going at the time of the fatal crash.
Amanda Pardue, Kayleigh, Robbie Hollis, and Dalton Martin all died at the scene of the accident. Eli was was alive at the scene and later died at the hospital. The truck driver was taken to the hospital and listed in stable condition.
At the time of the crash, it was determined that the driver of the tractor trailer was not at fault. It was not determined, however, why Pardue crossed the median. Pardue’s fiancé speculated that Pardue had a seizure as she had epilepsy and was not supposed to be driving under any conditions.
It was determined later, however, that a toxicology report showed that Pardue had methamphetamines and other drugs in her system at the time of the fatal crash. This is a terrible tragedy that illustrates how dangerous it is to drive while impaired whether it be under the influence of alcohol, legal or illegal drugs, certain prescription medications and the like. As I have discussed on my website on the page about Drunk and Impaired Driving Accidents, anything that causes a driver to be impaired raises the probability of an accident that can cause serious injuries or, as in this case, death.
The only bright side to this story is that one of Pardue’s children, a boy named Ethan, age 6, had decided to stay home instead of ride with his mother that dark day and is alive as a result. As one of the relatives of the family has stated, having one child in the house eases the pain a bit. It is also fortunate that the driver of the tractor trailer that was hit is going to survive as well.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is having a campaign this year called “Drive Sober or get Pulled Over” from August 13, 2014 to September 1, 2104 with the intent of a nationwide crackdown against drunk driving. You can go to the NHTSA’s website by clicking the link above and there are free materials that you can order and distribute for this campaign. It has been shown that greater visibility enforcement may decrease the number of fatalities caused by drunk driving by as much as 20%.
At Julie A. Rice, Attorney at Law, & Affiliates, we are strong advocates against impaired driving, and experts at cases involving impaired drivers, so if you or a loved one have been involved in an accident with an impaired driver, then Contact Us for your free legal consultation by any or all of the following manners: By phone at 770-854-8654, (813) 363-6664; By email at juliericelaw@outlook.com; By the form on this blog; and/or by the Contact Us form on our website. We are here to assist you at any time.