Pamela Pena Killed, Geovani Lopez Sanchez, Child Injured in Wrong-way Accident in Pasadena, TX
Pasadena, TX -- May 30, 2022, Pamela Pena was killed and Geovani Lopez Sanchez was injured following a wrong-way accident.
Officials reported that the crash took place at around 10:00 p.m. along Spencer Highway at Long Street.
According to reports, 25-year-old Geovani Lopez Sanchez was driving a Ford F-150 westbound on Spencer Highway. Police say that another vehicle was going the wrong direction and crashed head-on into the pickup.
Due to the collision, the reported wrong-way driver, identified as 46-year-old Pamela Pena, sustained fatal injuries. Lopez Sanchez and a child in his vehicle sustained incapacitating injuries. Right now, police say they're looking into alcohol as a possible factor. This and other factors are still under investigation.
Commentary on Pamela Pena, Geovani Lopez Sanchez Car Accident in Pasadena
It's not at all surprising to see police looking into alcohol as a possible factor here. It's almost always the cause of a wrong way collision. But I don't bring this up to speak ill of someone who lost their life. On the contrary, victims and families deserve to know if a local alcohol provider contributed to their hardships so that business can be liable.
This is due to dram shop law. 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 a bar over-serves someone, they're putting that person and the general public at risk. For someone to get on the wrong side of a divided roadway, they usually have to be well beyond their normal senses. If that's due to alcohol, it's virtually guaranteed that a business that served them did so illegally.
Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances here, such as mechanical issues, medical conditions, or missing signage. I certainly wouldn't suggest ignoring these possibilities. But it would be irresponsible to ignore red flags as glaring as alcohol after a wrong-way crash. Are the investigators here being thorough enough to ensure the victims and families are getting all the facts?
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