Mya Henry Injured in Single-Vehicle Accident on Front Street in Midland, TX
UPDATE (April 13, 2022): Sources have identified the driver injured in this accident as Mya Henry.
Midland, TX -- March 11, 2022, a 20-year-old woman was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on Front Street in Midland.
Authorities say the incident happened around 2:15 a.m. on Front Street near Bankhead Highway. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving a Chevrolet Cruze west on the 3000 block of the roadway, traveling at what witnesses described as speeds much higher than the 45mph limit. The driver reportedly failed to maintain her lane in a curve and left the road to the south, where the car hit a telephone pole. The Chevy then caught fire.
The car's driver suffered serious injuries in the crash. A 17-year-old passenger in the vehicle received minor injuries.
Police indicated the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Mya Henry Accident on Front Street in Midland
Police seem to be pretty certain that the driver in this crash was intoxicated. If that's proven with clear evidence that will likely mean some legal consequences for the driver, but it's not my place to speculate about how that might go. However, it's possible that someone besides the driver should be also held accountable. With that in mind it's important to learn where the underage and allegedly-drunk driver got her alcohol.
It's a serious concern that someone might knowingly have provided alcohol to an underage person, after which she was seriously injured in a car accident. The provider could be plenty of different people--a friend over 21, a family member, or--far more troubling--a local business that sold it directly to the driver.
What makes that last possibility unique is that such a business might be held legally accountable both for serving alcohol to an underage party and for its role in the injuries she suffered in the accident. Texas dram shop law says that if a licensed alcohol vendor sells or serves drinks to an obviously intoxicated customer, and that customer then hurts herself or someone else, the alcohol provider may be liable for the part it played in those injuries.
Some may think that because the victims were under 21 that the vendor would automatically be on the hook. It's true that Texas has zero tolerance policies in place about sale of alcohol to minors, and any business found to have done so would certainly be in hot water for that. However, the injury liability created by dram shop law is only automatic if the customer is under the age of 18. It's quite possible that a business still committed a dram violation and should be held accountable, but it would require the same clear proof as it would for a victim over the age of 21.
If nothing else, there are people affected by this accident who deserve the whole truth of how it happened. If the learned details include a local business looking the other way for some young adults purchasing alcohol--particularly if they were already under the influence--then it must be confronted and held accountable or it may cause similar damage in the future.
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