Canton, GA Man Injured in Scooter Accident on I-35 in Austin, TX
Austin, TX -- October 24, 2021, a Canton, GA man was injured following an accident where a vehicle hit the man on a scooter along I-35.
Preliminary reports indicated that the collision took place at around 12:31 a.m. at the I-35 service road and Holly Street.
Officials said that a 23-year-old Canton, GA man was on a scooter traveling eastbound on Holly. At the service road, the man was reportedly inattentive and crashed with a northbound car.
The scooter rider went to a hospital with incapacitating injuries. Police believe that the victim was under the influence of alcohol. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Canton, GA Man Scooter Accident on I-35 in Austin
If it's true that alcohol was a factor here, then folks may think this is all open-and-shut. Someone was drunk and put themselves in danger. Pretty simple, right? Well, Texas law is more complex than that. Even if someone was doing something irresponsible such as riding a motorized scooter while under the influence of alcohol, they may still have an opportunity to get the help they need.
This is due to dram shop law. The law basically says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. If a business over-serves someone, they're breaking the law. Period. So why wouldn't they face consequences?
Having a negligent alcohol provider take responsibility for someone's injuries means that everyone faces their consequences, and those in need of help have an opportunity to get it. That's why it's important to me to inform as many people as possible about things like dram shop law. If authorities aren't giving people the full story, then steps need to be taken to conduct more thorough independent investigations.