Saul Gaytan Castillo, 2 Injured in Car Accident in Austin, TX
Austin, TX -- May 10, 2022, Saul Gaytan Castillo and two others were injured after an accident where two vehicles collided.
Officials reported that the crash took place at around 9:42 p.m. along Stassney Lane near Teri Road.
In their reports, officials said that 44-year-old Saul Gaytan Castillo was in a pickup traveling along Stassney. Somehow, a Honda Odyssey from oncoming lanes crashed with the pickup, causing the pickup to overturn.
Gaytan Castillo and a passenger in the pickup were said to have non-incapacitating injuries. The other driver was said to have incapacitating injuries.
Right now, alcohol is being considered as a possible factor in the crash. Investigations are ongoing.
Commentary on Saul Gaytan Castillo Car Accident in Austin
Whenever authorities bring up alcohol, folks tend to assume that whoever the drunk driver was faces charges, and that's that. Perhaps that happens often, but further investigations can reveal that there are other serious factors to address. Specifically, if investigators find that a driver was illegally over-served by a local establishment, that establishment may be liable for contributing to the accident.
This is called dram shop law. Basically, the law says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. Bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and even gas stations are expected to follow the rules they agreed to when obtaining their license. Failure to do so puts lives at risk, which is why dram shop has them take responsibility for the harm their actions contribute to.
So while I cannot confirm if alcohol was even a factor here without more thorough investigations, the possibility alone is worth considering so folks understand the potential steps they can take to get the help they need.
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