Adam Gaconnet Killed by Car while Riding Scooter on Seventh Street in Austin, TX
Austin, TX -- April 29, 2022, 32-year-old Adam Gaconnet was hit and fatally injured by a vehicle while riding a scooter on Seventh Street in Austin.
Authorities say the incident happened around 2:30 a.m. on East Seventh near Gunter Street. Preliminary investigation suggests only that Gaconnet was riding a scooter in the area when he was hit by a passenger vehicle driven by 21-year-old Francisco Jauregui.
Gaconnet suffered fatal injuries in the collision. Jauregui reportedly remained at the scene and may face DWI charges.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Adam Gaconnet Accident on Seventh St in Austin
UPDATE (November 30, 2022): Investigators later updated their reports to indicate the victim of this accident, Adam Gaconnet, had a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .13 at the time. I don't mention that to tarnish the victim's name or with any judgment, but if it's possible that his intoxication played a part in his collision with the other person's car then there may be more to the investigation.
As I previously mentioned, alcohol-related crashes sometimes involve holding the businesses that served it responsible for the damage their intoxicated patrons cause or suffer. Under dram shop law any business that continued serving alcohol if their customer was obviously intoxicated may have a legal duty to make what amends it can to the family of the man who lost his life.
I'm not accusing any Austin businesses of knowingly over-serving the victim. However, his proximity to Austin's 6th Street--an infamous drag of bars and alcohol-serving restaurants--does make me wonder how he spent his time that night. At the very least the source of the alcohol seems like an important detail to find out in case a local business is breaking the law and endangering its community. If stopping its bad behavior also means helping the victim's loved ones recover from their terrible loss, that seems like all the more reason to take the needed steps.
ORIGINAL: Police seem to think intoxication was a factor in this accident. While I don't want to speculate, a crash around closing time near Austin's famous Sixth Street drag of bars certainly has some clues pointing that direction. However, as in any accident it's important not to jump to any conclusions before sufficient evidence is gathered to tell the whole story.
If police are able to prove that intoxication was a factor as suggested, there may be other considerations. Not everyone is aware that an alcohol vendor can be held liable for the damage its customers do if it served them excessive quantities of alcohol. Under Texas dram shop law, licensed vendors like bars and nightclubs are prohibited from selling or serving drinks to obviously intoxicated customers. If they do so illegally the law may put them on the hook for any injuries their customer causes or suffers while under the influence.
Far from every DWI accident starts with dram shop violations, but it's an important issue to know about and check on after a crash like this. Not only do dram shop claims help injured victims and grieving families seek help getting their lives back on track, they also ensure law-breaking bars learn hard lessons about prioritizing profits over safety and the law.
While I firmly believe dram shop law is important to know about and enforce, unfortunately law enforcement doesn't always make much effort to find out whether it was broken. Crash victims and their loved ones are often better served by independent investigations if such a violation might be involved. Armed with receipts, witness statements, video footage, and other evidence, many folks have successfully held bad alcohol providers accountable for the damage their negligent over-service led to.
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