Karl Goehring Killed, 1 Injured in Alleged DWI Accident in Fayette County, TX
Fayette County, TX -- November 19, 2022, Karl Goehring was killed and another person was hurt due to an allegedly intoxicated driver.
Investigators said that the incident happened at around 7:05 p.m. along Highway 159. Details suggested that 47-year-old Karl Goehring was in a Chevy Tahoe northbound along the highway. From oncoming lanes, officials say that a southbound Ford F-250 crossed the center line and crashed into the Tahoe, causing it to overturn.
Goehring sustained fatal injuries due to the crash. The Ford driver sustained non-incapacitating injuries. Authorities allege that driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Right now, no further information has been confirmed.
Commentary on Karl Goehring Alleged DWI Accident in Fayette County
If the allegations here are true, then an important step forward to ensuring there are appropriate consequences is finding out where the driver got their alcohol. Why is that? Well, drivers generally get their day in court, but evidence will often show that a local establishment illegally over-served them and contributed to the crash. So how do they get their time to answer for their actions? One possibility is dram shop.
Essentially, dram shop law says that an alcohol provider who over-serves an obviously intoxicated person can be liable for damages resulting from that intoxication. I can't begin to express just how many business I've dealt with who simply flouted the law and put their communities in danger without any regard for the safety of others. Generally speaking, when those businesses face consequences under dram shop law, two important things occur. One is that they clean up their act because they see there are consequences for their actions. Two, the victims and families can pursue much needed help which they wouldn't get simply waiting for a drunk driver to go through the criminal courts.
So while I can't say what did or didn't lead up to this crash, I can't help thinking about all of those families that came to me after losing someone in what was the most devastating event a family can face. I saw how much it meant to them to ensure that, at the very least, there was accountability for the death of their loved one. I can imagine that there will be similar feelings here, as well, which means there should likely be similar steps to make things right.
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