6yo Boy Killed, Herschel Pearson Arrested after Grand Prairie, TX Accident on Regency Drive
Grand Prairie, TX — September 10, 2022, a 6-year-old boy was struck and fatally injured by an alleged DWI driver on Regency Drive in Grand Prairie.
Authorities say the incident happened shortly before 8:00 p.m. on the 2700 block of Regency near West Carrier Parkway. Preliminary investigation suggests 35-year-old Herschel Pearson was driving an SUV through the area when he allegedly struck the boy, who was crossing the road from a residential area to a parking lot.
The boy was taken to an area hospital where he died a short time later.
Investigators believe Pearson was intoxicated at the time of the accident.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Grand Prairie Pedestrian Accident on Regency Dr
UPDATE (November 8, 2022): Later reports suggest the driver in this crash had a BAC of .139 at the time, over the legal limit of .08. Considering the tragic damage he dealt to the victim in this crash I suspect he'll face serious charges, some of them intoxication-related, and that seems only fair after changing a family's life for the worse. However, that still may not be the end of the matter.
I mentioned dram shop law when I wrote about this incident before; for a refresher on what it means, see below. Suffice to say that a negligent local business may deserve consequences of its own if its reckless over-service contributed to the end of a young life. Justice demands that that everyone responsible for that should be held properly accountable, but police seldom look for possible dram violators so that may require more thorough efforts from independent investigators.
ORIGINAL: If clear evidence confirms the suspect was impaired as police believe, some may think that just means he'll face appropriate charges. Ensuring that happens after the tragic damage he allegedly caused is certainly an important step; however, I believe that's true for everyone who played a role in what happened, and with that in mind it's important to talk about Texas dram shop law.
Under dram shop law, licensed alcohol providers who over-serve an obviously intoxicated person may be liable for injuries he causes while under the influence. A dram shop claim lets the people hurt in or by these accidents, like crash victims and their families, seek help with the difficult road ahead of them. At the same time it makes sure law-breaking businesses face consequences for their recklessness, just as the drivers they over-served and turned loose do.
If a bad bar may have played a role in taking a child's life, I think most would agree that it should make whatever amends it can for its part in the accident. Unfortunately, police often overlook it and focus on just charging the drunk driver. That's why it's often better to have independent investigators look into dram violations rather than wait for police to take action.
