Manuel Isaacs Injured in Auto Accident on Richmond Rd in Wharton, TX
Wharton, TX — December 2, 2022, 75-year-old Manuel Isaacs was seriously injured in an auto accident on Richmond Road in Wharton.
Authorities say the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. on North Richmond near Ahldag Avenue. Preliminary investigation suggests a Ford F-150 was northbound on Richmond when the driver allegedly failed to maintain his lane. The pickup veered into the center turn lane where Isaacs was in a stopped Ford F-250 facing south, waiting to turn onto Ahldag. The two pickups collided head-on in the turn lane.
Isaacs suffered serious injuries in the crash. The other driver reportedly received minor injuries.
Investigators believed the F-150 driver was under the influence of alcohol and collected blood samples for testing.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Manuel Isaacs Accident in Wharton
If blood tests confirm alcohol was involved here some may think that only means the suspect will face appropriate intoxication-related charges. 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 causing harm to the victim in Wharton. 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 businesses are held accountable, both to the state for breaking the law and to the people they hurt by doing so.
Not every alcohol-related wreck involves a dram violation, and I'm not accusing any specific Wharton business of over-service. The source of a driver's drinks is simply an important detail to learn, but unfortunately police rarely bother so it may be best to seek out other help for that investigation. With the right evidence, many folks hold bad bars accountable for the damage they helped cause.
