Austin Redder Killed in Car Accident in Crosby County, TX
Crosby County, TX -- April 1, 2022, Austin Redder was killed due to an accident where a vehicle hit Redder following a previous accident.
Investigators reported that the crash took place at around 4:00 a.m. along US 82 a few miles east of Crosbyton.
Authorities said that 26-year-old Austin Redder was in a vehicle traveling along the highway when the vehicle somehow went off-road, lost control, and crashed into a guardrail. While in the roadway, police say Redder got out of the vehicle. Some time later, a Dodge Journey hit Redder.
Redder ultimately succumbed to fatal injuries. The other driver involved reportedly was uninjured, and reports made no mention of potential charges. Right now, additional details surrounding the accident are unclear.
Commentary on Austin Redder Car Accident in Crosby County
UPDATE (July 26, 2022): In a recent report, authorities said that Redder had a .147 BAC following testing. I don't bring this up to criticize anyone or to recant what I said in my original commentary below. All of that stands until the full story can be confirmed. But whenever alcohol contributes to an accident, investigators need to find out if any local alcohol providers played a role in the victim's tragic death.
Dram shop law says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. Is that something authorities have looked into here? If nothing else, the potential of someone out there being at least partly responsible for this accident without answering for those actions simply isn't right. Steps should always be taken to ensure the victim's loved ones know they're getting the full story, and doing so here may require experience and tools police just don't have.
ORIGINAL: While some folks may see enough here to feel they can start jumping to conclusions, it's important to keep in mind just how little these reports really say. We don't know what caused the initial crash, what condition the vehicle was in, what road conditions were, whether or not someone else was involved in the first crash, and we don't know whether or not the second collision was reasonably avoidable. Folks may just assume things like cell phone usage, fatigue, or alcohol caused one or both of the accidents. Those are certainly common factors worth considering, but what about things like mechanical defects or poor road design? As unlikely as some factors may be, someone lost their life here. Doesn't that warrant every effort to ensure his loved ones get the answers they deserve?
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