Rosalba Perez Injured in Wrong-Way Crash on US-77 in McLennan County, TX
McLennan County, TX — May 28, 2022, 54-year-old Rosalba Perez was seriously injured in a car accident on U.S. Highway 77 in McLennan County.
According to reports the incident happened around 8:25 p.m. on US-77 near County Road 423. Preliminary investigation suggests a Ram 1500 pickup was traveling north at alleged high speeds in the southbound lane, the wrong direction, on US-77. Investigators say the Ram driver may have been intentionally trying to hit other vehicles.
The Ram soon approached Perez's southbound Ford F-150; Perez swerved right to avoid a head-on crash and the two pickups' front-left quarters collided. The Ford spun out and came to a stop facing north in the northbound lane. The Ram continued onward another half a mile before stopping.
Reports say Perez suffered serious injuries in the crash. The Ram driver received possible injuries and investigators believed him to be under the influence of alcohol. They noted plans to subpoena his treatment records as part of a DWI investigation.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Rosalba Perez Accident on US-77 in McLennan County
If blood tests confirm alcohol was involved here as police suspect, some may think that just means the wrong-way driver will be charged accordingly. However, there may be other things to consider as well.
For one thing, criminal consequences for the suspect won't help the victim with her injuries. An innocent crash victim, particularly one injured by an alleged drunk driver, deserves all the help they can get with the long road ahead. That's why it's important to talk 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 lets injured victims seek much-needed help. It also makes sure the offending business faces real consequences for endangering its customers and the public.
Not every drunk driving crash starts with over-service at a bar, but considering this one apparently involved a man playing "chicken" with other involuntary drivers while allegedly drunk it seems like finding out how he got that way is in everyone's best interests. Unfortunately, police don't put much effort into possible dram violations--their priority is just the drunk drivers, nevermind where the "drunk" part happened.
If an alcohol vendor 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 negligent alcohol providers accountable for the damage they helped cause.
