Luis Solis Vazquez Injured by Wrong-Way Driver in Montgomery County, TX
Montgomery County, TX — June 19, 2022, 24-year-old Luis Solis Vazquez was seriously injured in a traffic accident on State Highway 99 in Montgomery County.
According to reports the incident happened around 10:00 a.m. on TX-99 near Wilderness Road. Preliminary investigation suggests a Cadillac sedan was traveling east in the westbound lanes of the roadway, against traffic, when it collided head-on with Vazquez' Honda Civic.
Vazquez suffered serious injuries in the crash. Once extricated from the Honda he was transported to an area hospital. The Cadillac driver, 22-year-old Ronaldo Lopez, received minor injuries and was also taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. After his release he was taken into custody on suspicion of DWI. Blood samples were collected for testing.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Luis Solis Vazquez Accident in Montgomery County
UPDATE (July 20, 2022): Blood test results showed the wrong-way driver had a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .219 at the time of the crash. I say that with no judgment, but confirmation that he was significantly over the legal limit for intoxication may change how the wreck's aftermath should be dealt with.
As I mentioned previously, alcohol-related crashes sometimes involve holding the businesses that over-serve it responsible for the damage their intoxicated patrons cause or suffer. Under dram shop law such a business may have a legal duty to make what amends it can to the victim after the Highway 99 collision.
Unfortunately, bad bars and their dram violations generally get little attention from police. Instead it's usually best for victims and families to get help from independent investigators who know how to find the necessary proof. Armed with receipts, witness statements, video footage, and other evidence, many people hurt by reckless over-service have held bad alcohol vendors accountable for breaking the law and contributing to their injuries.
ORIGINAL: The at-fault driver is suspected of some very serious misbehavior here. If evidence shows he was intoxicated as police suspect, then the charges mentioned in the news may very well stick. A man was seriously hurt, after all, and if drunk driving caused that then appropriate consequences should follow. However, it's important to find out if the person facing those consequences is the only one to hold accountable.
Texas dram shop law says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person may be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. The business could be a bar, liquor store, restaurant, or even a gas station, but if its staff serve or sell drinks to someone clearly past his limits then the law says they may be responsible for whatever harm he causes or suffers.
It's unclear if anything like that happened in Montgomery County. Even if the suspect was drunk, that doesn't mean a bar broke the law with over-service (a hard thing to believe for a crash around 10:00 a.m. on a Sunday, but not impossible). It just bears careful consideration in just about any wreck where alcohol and injuries are tied together. Considering the major damage done in the crash, everyone responsible for victim's injuries should be held accountable for their role.
