Anthony Janke Jr., 1 Injured in Car Accident in Matagorda County, TX
Matagorda County, TX -- May 29, 2022, Anthony Janke Jr. and another person were injured in an accident where their pickup crashed off-road.
Preliminary reports indicated that the crash took place at around 1:34 a.m. along FM 2540 near County Road 119.
Authorities said that 21-year-old Anthony Janke Jr. and another man were in a Toyota Tacoma traveling southbound on FM 2540. The vehicle drifted off the roadway, then swerved the opposite direction and crashed into a ditch.
Janke and the other occupant both reportedly had incapacitating injuries. Reports claim that the pair had been drinking at an establishment called "Shades". This and other factors remain unconfirmed at this time.
Commentary on Anthony Janke Jr. Car Accident in Matagorda County
Just to be clear up front, I always take preliminary reports with a grain of salt. I've dealt with plenty of reports where police allege this or that only for more thorough investigations to show they were completely wrong. Maybe further investigations would reveal the same here.
That said, it's always a significant red flag to see a report mention an establishment by name. To be clear, I cannot confirm if that establishment was involved here at all. But any establishment that served alcohol to someone whose intoxication resulted in a crash, as is possibly the case here, may be liable for their role in that crash.
This is due to dram shop law, which says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. Alcohol providers have rules to following, and breaking those rules puts lives at risk. So whether it's the general public or their own customers that come to harm due to those actions, it's only just that Texas law provides an opportunity for those involved to seek help and see that alcohol provider held accountable.
Again, I can't say what caused this crash, who was responsible, or whether or not any outside parties contributed to the events. I simply wish to illustrate why a crash like this is far from straight-forward. It would likely require more thorough independent investigations to understand what possible avenues there could be to get the victims and families the help they deserve.
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