Blog Post

Fresno Boy Killed in Drunk Driving Accident


July 03, 2008
Topic: Drunk Driving Accidents

A young boy is dead after a yet another drunk driving accident in Fresno early on Wednesday morning. The driver of the car which struck him has been arrested.

11-year-old Daryl Atkinson was playing with another child at B Street. As he crossed the street near B Street and San Joaquin Avenue, he was hit by a car driven by 62-year-old Charles Henry King. The boy was rushed to hospital, where he was declared brain dead.

According to police, Charles Henry King showed signs of intoxication, and he was subjected to a blood alcohol test. The results of the test showed intoxication, although the police haven't confirmed the level of alcohol consumption.

King has been arrested, and charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and DUI injury. As it turns out, King was not even in possession of a valid driver's license, and has also been charged for driving without a license.

Just yesterday, we discussed the ramifications of the Ambriz Act which makes it mandatory for a person applying for a driver's license to sign a declaration in which he states that he is aware of the dangers of drunken driving, and that he is aware that he could be held responsible for any fatalities that occur if he causes a drunk driving accident. Too bad King won't be eligible to be tried for second-degree murder under the act. This drunk driving menace is getting completely out of hand. Too many people are being killed or maimed, as we struggle to deal with the problem to no avail.

King, for instance, is a 62-year-old adult who knows fully well the dangers of driving while intoxicated. What was his excuse for getting behind the wheel of his car drunk, we wonder. You can't blame it on a lack of awareness or youthful recklessness. Barely a day passes when there isn't a drunk driving accident taking place in the state, and usually with fatalities involved.

Thankfully, negligent drivers like King will have no excuse once we really begin to see the act take effect. Drunk driving won't remain a folly to be treated lightly with a light sentence and a slap on the wrist. If concern for your own safety and that of others doesn't motivate a driver to remain sober, then maybe the words "second degree murder charges" will.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.