Donique Trotter Injured by Alleged DWI Driver in Harris County, TX
Harris County, TX -- May 15, 2022, Donique Trotter was injured in a crash with an alleged DWI driver in Jersey Village.
According to reports the incident happened around 5:50 a.m. along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) near Jones Road. Preliminary investigation suggests 37-year-old Jonathan Moore was driving a Ford Edge east on the highway two lanes away from Trotter's Honda Odyssey minivan.
Reports say Moore changed lanes when unsafe, swerving through the road and hitting the Honda in lane 3. The impact caused Trotter to veer left and the Honda crashed into the median barrier. It then rebounded and spun through all five travel lanes and hit the wall on the other side.
Trotter suffered serious injuries in the crash. Moore reportedly received minor injuries and was arrested on a preliminary charge of intoxication assault, as well as a charge of DWI with minors (ages 13 and 14) in his vehicle.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Donique Trotter Accident in Harris County
A common mistake I see in these kinds of situations is thinking there's not much more to know about them. Even with just the few published details some may feel the key points were addressed: Someone hurt the victim while allegedly intoxicated and he faces criminal charges for it. What else is there? To make sure justice is properly done and the victim gets the help she deserves, quite a bit.
One important detail that too often goes overlooked after a drunk driver hurts someone in Texas is where that person's alcohol came from. Many people probably don't see any reason to learn that detail, but it's actually critical. Depending on where the driver drank before the accident, the victim may have the right to seek help from the business that sold the drinks.
Many folks aren't aware of Texas dram shop law or how it can help in a situation like this. In a nutshell, dram shop law prohibits licensed alcohol vendors (bars, restaurants, liquor and convenience stores, etc) from selling or serving alcohol to obviously intoxicated customers. If they do so illegally and their customers go on to cause or suffer injuries while under the influence, the business that provided too much to drink may be considered liable for the harm done.
I'm not saying a dram shop violation must have happened here, but did the authorities even look into it? Little as I like to say it, my guess would be no. Law enforcement doesn't spend much time tracking down that negligent over-service, content just to catch and punish its byproducts (drunk drivers). That's why dram shop matters are most often dealt with by independent investigators. Their careful attention to detail and in-depth analysis may find no violation occurred, but they could also be a step toward getting the victim some much-needed help getting back on her feet.
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