Nicholas Mireles Injured in Single-Vehicle Accident on Yale St in Houston, TX
Houston, TX — May 29, 2022, 30-year-old Nicholas Mireles was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on Yale Street in Houston.
According to reports the incident happened around 7:10 p.m. on Yale near 17th Street. Preliminary investigation suggests Mireles was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup north on Yale when he allegedly veered out of his lane and crashed into a tree just north of the 17th Street intersection.
Mireles suffered serious injuries in the crash and was transported to an area hospital. Investigators reported finding open alcohol containers in and near the crashed vehicle.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Nicholas Mireles Accident on Yale St in Houston
Authorities found enough circumstantial evidence to believe the crash may have been due to the driver's intoxication. I have no specific reason to doubt that, but as always I want to point out that suspicion isn't the same as proof. In most cases they look for that either by drawing blood to test or getting the victim's hospital treatment records. It's unclear whether either was done here, but neither would surprise me.
If evidence confirms their suspicions then some might the only thing left is to charge the driver accordingly; between that and his injuries many would probably assume that's plenty of consequences. However, there may be more issues to look into. For example, a local alcohol provider might have over-served the victim and made him too inebriated to drive. If that happened, the business may be responsible for his injuries under Texas dram shop law.
When a licensed alcohol vendor like a bar or restaurant over-serves an obviously intoxicated customer, it breaks the law. Period. When that customer causes or suffers injuries while under the influence, the business may be liable for the victims' injuries.
Dram shop gives people hurt by drunk drivers (including the drivers themselves) the right to seek help from the business that put the "I" in DWI. It also teaches those businesses a serious lesson about getting their priorities straight and obeying the law. A dram violation may or may not have happened in the Houston crash, and I'm not saying I know of a specific business that should be investigated. If police don't plan to find out for sure, though, an independent investigation may be best.
