A big rig driver in Rocky Mount, North Carolina has been charged with DUI after his rig overturned and dumped cabbage all over a highway in North Carolina.

A local news station reported that the tractor trailer driver is facing charges of DUI, commercial motor vehicle driving while impaired and careless and reckless driving.

The crash happened on Jan. 31 at approximately 10:15 am in Nash County, NC and backed up traffic for more than 10 miles. Crews came and cleaned up the cabbage from the road, and reopened the route after 3 hours.

Both the DUI trucker and the woman in the truck with him were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Our Virginia and North Carolina truck accident attorneys find it appalling that a commercial truck driver would get behind the wheel intoxicated, but it happens far too often. Our years of experience suing convicted DUI truck drivers in personal injury lawsuits tells us that driving a big rig drunk is a lot more dangerous than driving a car. Trucks are a lot bigger and heavier than a car, and are much harder to control when impaired. Also, a truck crash is much more likely to cause deadly injuries than a car accident.

Truck drivers who are thinking about drinking and driving should reconsider. If you are convicted of a commercial license DUI, you will get a one year suspension of your license in Virginia, and a lifetime suspension for another offense. Also note that if you drive a truck drunk and injure someone, you can be sued in civil court for your innocent victim’s injuries, including their medical care, pain and suffering and lost wages – past and future.

A good personal injury attorney in a truck crash case with injuries or death can win a verdict or settlement for millions of dollars, such as this case we settled for $3.5 million. So, is driving drunk in a commercial rig worth it? We think not.