Gustavo Torres Injured in Car Accident on Stuebner Airline Rd in Harris County, TX
Harris County, TX — May 23, 2022, 42-year-old Gustavo Torres was injured in a crash with an alleged DWI driver on Stuebner Airline Road in Harris County.
According to reports the incident happened around 11:55 p.m. on Stuebner Airline at Cypress Creek Parkway. Preliminary investigation suggests a Nissan Pathfinder was headed west on Cypress Creek when the driver allegedly ran a red light and crashed into Torres' southbound Honda Accord on Stuebner Airline.
Torres suffered serious injuries in the accident.
The Nissan driver reportedly fled the scene but was found a short time later and arrested for Failure to Stop and Render Aid and Intoxication Assault.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Gustavo Torres Accident on Stuebner Airline Rd in Harris County
A common mistake I see in these kinds of situations is thinking that what we see here is more or less all there is to know. Even with just the few published details some may feel the key points were hit: Someone hurt the victim while intoxicated, fled the scene, and later was caught and charged; so what more is there to say?
One important detail that too often goes overlooked after a drunk driver hurts someone is where the driver drank before the accident. Many people probably don't see any reason to learn that since drunk driving is pretty much the same no matter where the "drunk" part comes from, but it's actually very important. Depending on where the drinks came from the victim may have the right to seek help from the business that sold them.
Many folks aren't aware of how dram shop law can help in these situations. 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 law may hold the business that provided too much to drink liable for the harm done.
It's not clear if a dram shop violation 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 negligent over-service from bars, clubs, and restaurants, content instead to catch and punish the byproducts of that recklessness. That's why dram shop matters are most often dealt with by independent investigators. Their careful attention to detail and in-depth analysis may confirm no such violation occurred, but they could also be a step toward getting the victim the help they need and deserve.
