UPDATED.
Last night one woman, age 30, was tragically killed and five people suffered injuries after a crash caused by a drunk driver. The collision happened just before midnight on LBJ Freeway northbound near Highway 175. Police found a pickup that had flipped upside down and was lying on its roof and a car that had crashed into the center-lane guardrail. Six people were still inside the truck, including a man, two women, and three children. The white car was occupied only by the driver.
Bad accident on Highway 175. Multiple injuries. One person arrested after failing a sobriety test. pic.twitter.com/uPxC1W7lSN
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 21, 2014
According to KDFW-Channel 4, witnesses said the woman driving the car was speeding on LBJ when she suddenly changed lanes and crashed into the truck, sending it spinning out of control. The car careened into the guardrail. Of course, the woman didn’t get hurt.
But one of the women in the truck was unconscious when police arrived and was flown by Care Flite to Parkland Hospital in critical condition. She is the mother of at least one of the children in the truck. The other occupants, including the children, were taken to the hospital with less severe injuries. My prayers go out to the families of those involved in this horrible crash.
Police say the woman behind the wheel of the car failed a field sobriety test and has now been arrested for intoxication-assault charges.
Drunk Drivers Have To Be Stopped
Almost half of fatalities from traffic accidents are caused by drunk driving. This horrific problem is especially rampant in the Dallas Fort Worth area where, just last year, 121 people were killed and 1,261 others were seriously injured by DWI or DUI drivers in Tarrant and Dallas Counties. That is a shocking statistic.
We have to stop the madness that has become so routine here. Rarely is a drunk driving accident minor. Instead, it is usually a high speed, out of control crash with serious life-changing consequences.
And driving while intoxicated is a serious problem all across Texas. We are the number one state in auto and truck collisions, many of which are alcohol related. Dallas had the highest rate of drunk driving deaths of 97 cities in the nation.
More has to be done to discourage people from driving while intoxicated, including greater criminal penalties, additional driver awareness programs, and more alternatives to driving, like buses and free taxis.
I was in court on Friday and while waiting for my hearing, heard one of our many excellent judges, Mike Hrbal, sternly admonish several people who were there to request occupational driver’s license that he would throw the book at them in they were ever caught driving while intoxicated again.
Also, we have to crack down on drivers like this one so that they do not get multiple times to plead guilty to misdemeanor DWIs and keep getting probation.
Bars And Retailers That Serve Or Sell To Drunks Must Also Be Stopped
Texas, like most states, including Texas, has enacted what is called a dram shop law to hold businesses liable when their intoxicated customers cause injuries to innocent motorists and others. These laws were created to discourage restaurant and bar owners from overserving alcohol and serving any alcohol to minors. They are also a way for injured people to be compensated, since the drunk driver often lacks significant insurance or assets — if he has them at all. The law can be found at Alcoholic Beverage Code, Section 2.02(b).
This office always considers the source of the alcohol to see whether there is a potential cause of action against a bar, retail store, or restaurant to see that our clients are fairly compensated.
We Can Help You
If you or a loved one have been injured in a collision e-mail me or call my office at 817-885-8000 or toll-free at 1-888-801-8585 to discuss how I can help you recover money for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages and other damages.