Christian Bishop Injured in Auto Accident on CR 217 in Lee County, TX
Lee County, TX — May 23, 2022, 25-year-old Christian Bishop was injured in a single-vehicle accident on County Road 217 in Lee County.
According to reports the incident happened around 8:05 p.m. on CR 217 near U.S. Highway 277. Preliminary investigation suggests Bishop was driving a Toyota RAV4 SUV northeast on the road when he lost control in a curve. The SUV traveled off the road to the north and hit some trees.
Bishop suffered serious injuries in the accident. Investigators suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and collected samples for testing.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Christian Bishop Accident in Lee County
UPDATE (June 29, 2022): Later reports indicate the injured driver had a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .197 at the time of the crash. I don't say that in judgment, but confirmation that he was over the legal limit for intoxication may add some further concerns to the investigation.
As I mentioned before, Texas dram shop law holds businesses that over-serve alcohol responsible for the damage their intoxicated patrons cause or suffer. Not every DWI crash involves a dram violation, but finding out where the drinks came from is an important and often-neglected detail that may help the victim with the difficulties of getting back on his feet.
As I also mentioned, however, police don't spend much time or effort on dram violations. Independent investigations are often needed to ensure bad bars face consequences and the victims of their negligence get the help they deserve.
If blood tests confirm alcohol was involved here, some may think that just means the driver will be charged accordingly. However, there may be other issues to address.
For one thing, criminal punishment really won't help the injured man get back on his feet. Any DWI crash victim, even a suspected drunk driver, deserves whatever assistance they can get with the long road to recovery. That's why it's important that the man hurt in this crash knows about Texas dram shop law.
Under dram shop law, licensed alcohol providers who over-serve an obviously intoxicated person may be liable for damages he causes or suffers while under the influence. A dram shop claim against a reckless bar can help injured victims seek much-needed help. Furthermore, it makes sure the offending business faces consequences for endangering its customers and the public.
Unfortunately, police don't look too hard for dram shop violations. If a bar may have broken the law it's often better for independent investigators to seek proof of that. Armed with receipts, witness statements, security footage, and other evidence, many folks have successfully held bad alcohol providers accountable for the damage they had a hand in.
