Conor Barrett Injured in Auto Accident on Preston Rd in Prosper, TX
Prosper, TX — November 13, 2022, 21-year-old Conor Barrett was injured in a crash with a suspected drunk driver on Preston Road in Collin County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 10:45 p.m. on North Preston at East Broadway. Preliminary investigation suggests a BMW 330 sedan was eastbound on Broadway when the driver allegedly ran a red light at Preston. The BMW crashed at an offset with Barrett's southbound Ram 1500 pickup in the crossroads.
Barrett suffered serious injuries in the collision. The BMW driver, also 21, was unhurt; investigators suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and collected blood samples for testing.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Conor Barrett Accident in Prosper
If blood tests confirm alcohol was involved here as suggested, some may think that only means the suspect will be charged accordingly. That part's important, of course, since drunk drivers put themselves and others at risk and should face serious consequences. However, I'd argue the same is true of everyone who played a part in the wreck and the victim's injuries. That's why 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. Put another way, it's not always just a drunk driver who's legally accountable for a crash--it's also the place that helped him get that way. Dram shop makes sure that negligent business is held accountable and also provides the people it hurts a way to confront it in court.
Not every alcohol-related wreck involves a dram violation, and I'm not accusing any specific Prosper business of over-service. The source of a driver's drinks is simply an important detail to learn, but unfortunately police rarely make it a priority. If an alcohol vendor may have contributed to the crash then it may be best to seek proof of that independently. With the right help and evidence, many folks hold bad bars accountable for the damage they helped cause.
