One Seriously Injured by Alleged DWI Driver on Loop 375 in El Paso, TX
El Paso, TX — August 13, 2022, a 50-year-old man was seriously injured in a crash with an alleged drunk driver on Loop 375 in El Paso.
Authorities say the incident happened around 12:40 a.m. on Loop 375 near Montwood. Preliminary investigation suggests a Chevrolet Blazer was southbound on the highway some distance behind the victim's Nissan Versa. According to reports the Blazer swerved out of its lane and hit the Median barrier, then veered back into the road and hit the Nissan. The impact spun the Nissan and the Chevy pushed it broadside a short distance further south before the vehicles came to rest.
The Nissan driver was seriously injured in the crash. The Blazer driver was unhurt.
Investigators believed the Chevy driver was intoxicated. Breath tests administered at the scene showed he had an approximate BAC of .24.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on El Paso Auto Accident on Loop 375
Breathalyzers have a higher margin of error than blood tests, but even allowing for that it seems police found enough reason to believe intoxication was a factor here.
Some may feel there's not much else to say about the suspect's alleged intoxication aside from charging him accordingly. Drunk drivers should face serious penalties for their choices, yes, but criminal punishment does little to help injured victims with the cost and hardship of recovery. However, that might be addressed another way with the help of Texas dram shop law.
Under dram shop law, an alcohol provider that over-serves an obviously intoxicated customer may be liable for injuries caused by that person while they're under the influence. If the El Paso suspect was over-served somewhere and his intoxication was the reason for the crash, the business that provided his drinks may have a duty to help the injured victim get back on his feet.
Alcohol providers have a legal responsibility not to over-serve people, though you'd never know it by the way many of them behave. When they break the law and people get hurt, they're obligated to make things right. Most businesses follow the rules and not every DWI case involves a dram shop violation, but the possibility should always be looked into. Bad bars deserve consequences and the people affected by their recklessness deserve all the help they can get.
