BCSO Deputy, 1 Other Injured by Alleged DWI Driver on I-35 in Bexar County, TX
Bexar County, TX — August 10, 2022, a Bexar County Sheriff's deputy and another person were injured by a suspected drunk driver on Interstate 35.
Authorities say the incident happened around 6:10 p.m. on I-35 South near Charles Anderson Loop. Preliminary investigation suggests the deputy and another person were seated in a marked BCSO Chevy Tahoe with its emergency lights activated, blocking the exit ramp toward Loop 1604 while working an unrelated crash. According to reports a Cadillac SUV approached on the highway and crashed into the Tahoe.
The deputy and the other person in the Chevy suffered potentially serious injuries in the collision and were taken to an area hospital. The Cadillac driver was arrested on suspicion of DWI and blood samples were collected for testing.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on BCSO Deputy Accident on I-35 in Bexar County
Police suggested that alcohol may have been a significant factor here. If blood tests confirm their suspicions the driver who crashed into the patrol unit may be in some hot water for his poor choices that evening, and rightly so. Drunk driving puts everyone at risk and appropriate punishment should follow. However, I (and the law) believe that everyone responsible for the damage done should face consequences for their role. With that in mind it's important to talk about Texas dram shop law.
Under dram shop law a licensed alcohol vendor (bar, club, restaurant, store, etc) that sells or serves drinks to an obviously intoxicated customer may be liable for any damage that customer causes or suffers while under the influence. Most bars follow the rules and not every DWI crash involves a dram violation, but where the drinks came from is still an important detail to know for sure when alcohol use and injuries may be tied together.
Having said that, though, I've learned over the years that looking into possible dram violations is usually handled by independent investigations rather than law enforcement. Regardless of who does the looking, though, making sure a bar stops endangering its community seems like an important step. If two injured people can get much-needed help in the process, that's all the more reason to get the ball rolling.
