A lot has been made about the dangers of driving under the influence in Nevada. Most of the stories you hear about drunk driving accidents involve someone drinking too much, getting behind the wheel, and injuring or killing others by crashing into the vehicle they are in. But many times, the people who are the most susceptible to injury by a drunk driver are the people inside the vehicle with him or her – especially children.

That’s why a weekend accident in the city of Mesquite, about 85 miles northeast of Las Vegas on I-15, is so disturbing. On Sunday afternoon shortly after 3pm, a 33-year old Mesquite man was driving a vehicle that reportedly crashed into two pickup trucks that were parked along the curb of a street. The man reportedly tried to flee the scene of the auto accident, but was restrained by bystanders until Mesquite Police arrived. Authorities found four young children, ages one to five, inside the vehicle with the suspect. All of the youngsters were taken to an area hospital with injuries. The driver now faces numerous charges, including driving under the influence, child endangerment, and improperly restraining a child in a vehicle.

The articles do not state whether the children were related to the alleged drunk driver. If they are not, their parents have solid grounds for filing personal injury lawsuits against the suspect on their kids’ behalf. These suits could allow the families to get reimbursed for hospital expenses and perhaps even receive monetary damages for mental anguish.