For many, the playful strains of music emanating from an ice cream truck recall images of carefree and innocent childhood summers. But not for one New York family. Last July, a 6-year-old Brooklyn girl heard the familiar sound of an ice cream truck coming through her grandparents' neighborhood. She ran to catch the truck, but was run over by a drunk driver. She died of her injuries received in the car accident five days later.

A blood alcohol test revealed that the driver was over New York's legal limit of .08. Last fall the driver pleaded guilty to the charge of vehicular manslaughter, which can place an offender in prison for a maximum of seven years. The plea deal reached with prosecutors, however, provided that he would not serve time in prison for now.

This week the court sentenced the driver to a term of five years of probation and ordered him to go to an alcohol awareness program. His license was suspended, and when he is able to drive again, he must have an ignition interlock system installed in his car.

Losing a family member or a friend in a car accident is devastating. But the agony of that loss and the anger that accompanies it can increase greatly when the person who caused the accident was intoxicated. Drunk driving is preventable, but unfortunately, DUI accidents continue to occur.

Through the criminal justice system, the law aims to deter and punish the sort of behavior that occurred in this case. But the law also provides the family of those killed or injured by drunk drivers the opportunity to seek compensation in the civil courts. Although compensation cannot bring back those who have lost their lives, it can hold the negligent party accountable and offer a sense of closure.

Source: New York Daily News, "'Sorry' is not good enough, says family of 6-year-old girl killed by a DWI driver who's only getting probation for the accident," Thomas Zambito, Feb. 1, 2012.