There are many situations that may lead to a driver or a passenger to being ejected from a vehicle. Of course, the major reason is the failure to wear a safety belt. Another reason people may be ejected is the speed at the time of an accident. High speeds can cause even a restrained passenger or driver to be ejected from the vehicle. Defective seat belts and damaged side windows can also be a cause. Convertibles, as well as vehicles with moon and sunroofs, are particularly dangerous when it comes to ejecting people from a vehicle. Serious injuries usually result, which in some cases, can lead to death.
The Florida Times-Union reported on a Middleburg man who has been charged with DUI manslaughter after the death of a passenger. 54-year-old David Scott Riley turned himself in on July 1st. He turned himself in on a warrant that also charged him with DUI serious injury, stemming from a September 28th crash.
The crash ejected his passenger after his vehicle rolled over on Interstate 295. The charges were upgraded after the passenger died as a result of his injuries.
According to witnesses, Riley was driving a Chevrolet pickup truck that was speeding and swerving as it headed south along the interstate. Near Interstate 10, the truck swerved and hit the center guardrail, rolling multiple times.
Riley and passenger Michael Paul Peterson were ejected from the vehicle. Another passenger, Brian Brown, was wearing his seatbelt and remained in the vehicle.
Peterson, who was 36, later died from his injuries. Brown received injuries that have left him with a continued loss of bodily function. Riley was also seriously injured and was unconscious when a deputy accompanied him to the hospital.
Blood tests revealed a blood-alcohol level of .141, which is near twice the legal limit. Riley bonded out the same day that he turned himself in to the police. According to court records, Riley pleaded guilty to DUI with property damage in 2013.