Lori Murillo Injured in Single-Vehicle Accident off I-35 in Kyle, TX
Kyle, TX — May 21, 2022, 37-year-old Lori Murillo was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident off Interstate 35 in Hays County.
According to reports the incident happened around 1:35 a.m. on the west I-35 frontage road near Old Highway 81. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving a Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV south on the frontage road when she reported made an unsafe lane change. The SUV drove off the road and overturned on its side.
Murillo suffered serious injuries in the accident. She told officers she was forced to swerve when another vehicle cut her off, but later admitted to consuming alcohol before the crash and reportedly had slurred speech.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Lori Murillo Accident off I-35 in Kyle
Given the driver's reported confession of drinking it's not shocking that police think alcohol is a factor. They'll likely need something more definitive like blood test results to know what role it played, but depending on what's learned the victim may face some legal consequences. Her fate in court isn't for me to speculate on, though. I'd rather look at ways to help her get back on her feet.
For instance, even if she was driving drunk as police suspect there may be another party to hold responsible for that. Texas dram shop law broadens the scope of responsibility for alcohol-related crashes beyond the drivers to often include the businesses that sold them their drinks. When bars or other alcohol providers sell or serve alcohol to obviously intoxicated customers, the law says they may be liable for any injuries those customers cause or suffer while under the influence.
Not every DWI accident involves a dram shop violation. For instance, if the victim drank at home then it's not likely that a business could be held liable for her damages. Even if something like that is the case, though, it's important to find out for sure any time alcohol may be a direct factor in a crash.
So will the authorities find out where the drinks were had? It pains me to say this, but I doubt it. Police don't look too hard for dram shop violations despite how important it is to put a stop to them. Victims of drunk driving accidents, even the drivers themselves, are better off when independent investigators look for the evidence they need to hold a negligent business responsible.
