Atlanta Victim’s Family Supports “Operation Zero Tolerance” for DUI Offenders

June 27, 2008 - Eleven-year-old Briton Batchelor had celebrated the Fourth of July only three days earlier when he was killed by a drunk driver on Atlanta’s I-285 in 2001. At a recent news conference to kick off the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety’s new "Operation Zero Tolerance" in support of the upcoming DUI law, the family of the young victim recounted the details of their most horrifying day. Effective July 1, DUI penalties in the state of Georgia will be much harsher than they are currently, but the Batchelor family longs for even tougher punishment for offenders.

Briton’s sister, Allene, 22, was only 15 the day of the accident, but she remembers it clearly: the siblings were riding in the back seat of their family’s vehicle near the Riverdale Road exit of I-285 when a drunk driver hit them from behind, flipping the vehicle, shattering glass, and throwing young Briton onto the pavement. Hanging upside down from her seat belt, Allene saw her brother in the fetal position on the ground with a pool of blood below his body. Briton died soon after impact.

Though the drunk driver responsible for the young boy’s death was given a 14-year jail sentence, he only has to serve 10 of them, not even accounting for each year of Briton’s life. The Batchelor family undoubtedly supports the new DUI law, as it is a step towards toughening the penalties for drunk driving. For them, however, "zero tolerance" should mean exactly that, which requires many more steps to be taken.

Our law firm handles car accident cases such as this.  If you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of a car accident or drunk driving accident, call 770-577-3020 for a free consultation.