Rather than file a lawsuit against the driver, the Johnson family showed forgiveness during the sentencing of the drunk driver who killed their daughter. On July 11, 2012, Regan Johnson was working in a construction zone on Highway 99 near Clinton Avenue in Fresno when Alyssa Villanueva, a 28-year old mother of three who had been drinking, struck and killed 24-year old Johnson. Johnson had been wearing reflective clothing, had a blinking light on her helmet and carried a lit flashlight at the time of the crash. Judge Don Penner said that Villanueva could have avoided the crash if she had taken the advice of a friend who asked her to spend the night – an offer Villanueva refused.
The family of a 4-year old child who was struck by a San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) work truck has filed a lawsuit, claiming that the driver of the truck was using his cellphone at the time of the accident. The 4-year old was one of two children injured in the accident, which killed the mother of one of the children.
Driving drunk, as well as texting, and talking on the phone can leave a defendant open to punitive damages. These are damages meant to punish someone for their behavior. The below case is believed to be one of , if not the largest, DWI punitive award ever.