Two Killed, Several Injured, Keith Brazier Arrested in Alleged DWI Crash in Galveston, TX
UPDATE (September 22, 2022): The driver of the vehicle struck by alleged drunk driver Keith Brazier has been identified as 41-year-old Lacy Jackson.
UPDATE (September 16, 2022): It is our sad duty to announce that another 14-year-old boy in the SUV struck by alleged drunk driver Keith Brazier died of his injuries this morning.
Galveston, TX — September 2, 2022, a 14-year-old boy died and several people were injured by an alleged DWI driver near Ball High School in Galveston.
Authorities say the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of 41st Street and Avenue O, close to Ball High campus. Preliminary investigation suggests the several teens and an adult were traveling together in a Jeep Wrangler when alleged drunk driver Keith Brazier approached in a white Toyota Sequoia SUV and crashed into them at high speeds.
The 14-year-old boy was fatally injured in the crash. Several others including the Jeep driver, Brazier, and a passenger in Brazier's SUV were seriously injured.
Investigators believe Brazier was driving while intoxicated after having been released from prison just a few hours before the collision. He was reportedly charged with murder.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Auto Accident at 41st and Ave O in Galveston
While I'm saddened to read that a recent parolee acted in a way that may send him straight back to lockup, the true tragedy here is the catastrophic damage he dealt to innocent people and the young lives he cut short. If he really acted as news reports say, then appropriate consequences must follow for the tragic and irreversible harm he caused.
Having said that, I believe the same is true of everyone who played a part in the damage done. If the suspect was intoxicated as the news claims, then a local business may have some answering of its own to do.
People aren't always aware that Texas law has provisions to hold not only DWI drivers, but also the businesses that over-serve them alcohol, responsible for the harm they often do. Under Texas dram shop law a licensed alcohol vendor that sells or serves drinks to an obviously intoxicated customer may be liable for any injuries that customer causes while under the influence. If it's proven that they knowingly over-served the customer, the business may have a legal duty to make what amends it can to the people its actions harmed.
Not every DWI accident originates with a dram violation, but negligent over-service is unfortunately far more common than it should be and its drunken byproducts make community streets much less safe. Police tend to focus their efforts almost exclusively on catching and punishing the drunk drivers, but rarely zoom out and consider where the "drunk" part took place. To ensure both that law-breaking businesses face consequences AND that the victims of their negligence receive much-deserved help, it's often best for independent investigators to look at the parts of these accidents that police don't.
