Alan Eugene Barnes Killed in Alleged Drunk Driver Accident in Fayette County, TX
Fayette County, TX -- May 14, 2022, Alan Eugene Barnes was killed due to an accident involving an allegedly drunk driver.
Investigators reported that the crash took place at around 7:21 p.m. along FM 1291 at the intersection of FM 2145.
Officials said that 56-year-old Alan Eugene Barnes was on a motorcycle traveling westbound along FM 2145. At FM 1291, a southbound truck reportedly failed to yield, turning left into the path of Barnes's motorcycle. This resulted in a collision.
Reports say that Barnes died due to the collision. The other driver was said to be under the influence of alcohol and may face charges for intoxication manslaughter. Investigations are ongoing.
Commentary on Alan Eugene Barnes Motorcycle Accident in Fayette County
If the allegations are true, and authorities end up pursuing the charges suggested in preliminary reports, that can have incredibly serious implications. Part of intoxication manslaughter is showing that the intoxication was the proximate cause of the accident. But why does that matter? Well, that's also a standard in another crucial area of the law the authorities tend to overlook: dram shop law.
Essentially, dram shop law says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. If someone is on their way home a bar or restaurant, and evidence shows they cause a crash because that establishment illegally over-served them, the establishment can be on the hook as a way to both get victims and families the help they need and to ensure that business faces consequences for their actions just as drunk drivers do for theirs.
Right now, I can't say if any of these accusations are true or if something like dram shop actually applies. It's simply that across the hundreds of families I've assisted through similar hardships, they all wanted the same thing: accountability. They wanted to know those responsible for their hardships were answering for what they did. If authorities overlooked the possibility that there was more than one culprit responsible for this tragedy, are they really getting the full story?
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