Cindy Griffin, Madison Lake Killed by Alleged Street Racer on River Oaks Blvd in Fort Worth, TX
River Oaks, TX — November 30, 2022, Cindy Griffin and Madison Lake died in a crash with alleged street racers on River Oaks Boulevard in suburban Tarrant County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 9:00 p.m. on River Oaks Blvd near Jacksboro Highway in the River Oaks suburb of Fort Worth. Preliminary investigation suggests Griffin and Lake had just left Griff's restaurant after picking up 20-year-old Bishop Kline from work. They were traveling away from the restaurant when an eastbound pickup truck, suspected of racing another nearby pickup, crashed into their car.
Griffin, 37, and Lake, 17, died in the collision. Kline and one of the racing drivers were hospitalized; Kline was reportedly in critical condition.
The investigation continues. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Cindy Griffin, Madison Lake Accident in River Oaks
It's shameful when something like this happens. I think most people are aware of the dangers of street racing, yet some folks seemingly get too tempted to put the pedal to the metal. Why did that happen in River Oaks, though? Was it just impulsive? Was it planned beforehand? Or was it, like so many other tragic accidents, a choice made due to judgment compromised by alcohol?
I don't mean to jump to conclusions or suggest I know more than preliminary reports say. Over the years one just gets familiar with some statistics, including the unfortunate link between drunk driving and street racing. In many cases it was eventually learned that a local bar over-served someone who then made a bad decision to drag-race down a busy local street. When that decision causes injury or death, the bar may be liable for the damage done under Texas dram shop law.
Having said that, I want to stress that I'm not accusing anyone of anything. News stories about the accident are heartbreaking but don't have all the facts yet--and I'm not trying to fill in any blanks with guesses. I just hope investigators will take the necessary steps to find out the whole story. The people who lost loved ones in River Oaks deserve no less.
