• September 12, 2022

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.

The investigation is ongoing. No further information is currently available.

Commentary on Grand Prairie Pedestrian Accident on Regency Dr

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.