Miguel Salazar Injured in Single-Vehicle Crash on FM 762 in Fort Bend County, TX
Fort Bend County, TX — April 23, 2022, 25-year-old Miguel Salazar was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on FM 762 in Fort Bend County.
According to reports the wreck happened around 6:00 a.mm. on FM 762 near Davis Estate Road. Preliminary investigation suggests Salazar was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck north on the roadway when he failed to maintain a single lane. The pickup left the road and crashed into a barbed wire fence, followed by a tree.
Salazar suffered serious injuries in the wreck. Reports say he told investigators he had consumed alcohol prior to the crash.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Miguel Salazar Accident in Fort Bend County
Given the circumstances of this crash and the driver's reported admission of drinking, it seems reasonable that alcohol is considered a possible factor. Blood tests or treatment records should offer some insight into how much of a role it played, and depending on what they reveal the victim may unfortunately face some legal consequences for his choices.
Some might consider that essentially the end of the matter, but that may not be true. Texas dram shop law considers whether the businesses that sold drunk drivers their alcohol have a share of the responsibility for the damage done. Those laws are designed to hold alcohol providers accountable for over-service, meaning times where they sell or serve alcohol to obviously intoxicated customers. If they do that, they may be liable for any injuries those customers go on to cause or suffer while excessively impaired.
Not every DWI accident involves a dram shop violation. For instance, if the suspect drank at home first or bought alcohol while sober and then drank it on the road, it's not likely that a business would be liable for his injuries. Even if that's what investigators find out, though, it's worth looking into any time alcohol consumption may be a direct factor in an accident.
Unfortunately police don't often check into possible dram shop violations, content instead just to catch and punish drunk drivers. Victims of DWI accidents, even drivers like the one in Fort Bend County, are often best served by independent investigations to get what they need. Armed with receipts, witness statements, security footage, and other evidence, many people have held bad bars accountable for the damage they helped cause.
