Two Injured in Wrong-Way Accident on E Commerce Street in San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, TX -- February 1, 2022, two people were injured in a wrong-way accident on East Commerce Street on San Antonio's East Side.
Authorities say the incident happened around 9:00 p.m. at the intersection of East Commerce and North Grimes streets. Preliminary investigation suggests a white passenger vehicle drove into the oncoming lane of the roadway and crashed head-on into another vehicle.
The wrong-way driver suffered critical injuries in the collision. A passenger in the wrong-way car was also hurt. No other injuries were reported.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Wrong-Way Accident on Commerce St in San Antonio
Just about any crash involving a wrong-way driver raises some serious red flags. Why? Because the vast majority of them happen when the wrong-way driver is intoxicated.
To be clear, I don't know that's the situation in San Antonio. Nobody, myself included, should jump to conclusions until evidence tells the true story. It may be tempting to point to intoxication or driver distraction, but it's possible that something rarer like a sudden medical episode or even simple disorientation caused the driver to travel against traffic. However, if this crash is found to be caused by alcohol as many other wrong-way collisions are then a local business out there may have some legal responsibility for the damage done.
Investigations often show someone driving the wrong way was seriously over-served by a bar, club, restaurant, or other local business. When that happens those businesses may be liable for the injuries caused or suffered by their customer under dram shop law.
Again, I'm not bringing any of this up to suggest I know what happened here. I just know that victims affected by these crashes often believe they'll have to face the uphill battles of recovery on their own, even though they are afforded certain rights that could help them with those struggles. Police investigations don't often tackle dram shop violations, however, as they focus mainly on the people directly involved in the crash. They may conduct toxicological tests as part of the investigation, but even positive results for impairment rarely lead them to find out where the alcohol came from.
Getting people the full story means making sure they know what investigators should be looking for. Whether that's the police or independent professionals with more specialized experience, ensuring victims and families get the answers they deserve should always be a priority. Are those steps being taken here?
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