Ulis Watson Killed in Crash with Alleged DWI Driver in Houston, TX
Houston, TX — July 26, 2022, 76-year-old Ulis Watson was killed in a crash with an alleged DWI driver off South Loop West in Houston.
According to reports the incident happened around 5:45 p.m. in the area of 2300 South Loop West service road at Kirby Drive. Preliminary investigation suggests 45-year-old Kenneth Williams was driving a Honda Pilot west on the service road when he allegedly ran a red light at Kirby. The Honda crashed into an Infiniti EX35 that was turning from Kirby onto the service road.
Watson, driving the Infiniti, suffered fatal injuries in the collision. Two juvenile passengers in the Honda received minor injuries and were taken to a hospital.
Investigators found Williams was intoxicated and charged him for his role in the crash.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Ulis Watson Accident in Houston
If evidence confirms that the suspect was intoxicated as suggested, he may face some legal consequences for his choices. However, it's not my place to talk about that. Instead, I'd rather address a different part of alcohol-related crashes that often helps victims and families with the difficult road to recovery.
Under Texas dram shop law a local business that sold or served the driver more alcohol after he was obviously intoxicated could be legally responsible for the damage he caused while under the influence. Think about it: Drunk drivers are a well-known danger on the road and face harsh consequences when they're caught, so shouldn't the businesses that got them that way also be held accountable? That's what dram shop claims do: Make sure that victims and families get help and also teach law-breaking bars an important lesson about getting their priorities in order.
Reports only say police suspect intoxication here, not that it's been confirmed. Even then, that doesn't necessarily mean a business illegally over-served the suspect. I'm not claiming to know for sure dram shop law applies, but it could have helped many people who never knew about it at all so I talk about it after accidents where it might be a concern. If a local business violated its legal duties and people suffered as a result, that business should be held accountable and make whatever amends it can.
