Robin Allen Injured in Car Accident on Collins St in Arlington, TX
Arlington, TX — December 12, 2022, 48-year-old Robin Allen was seriously injured in a car accident on North Collins Street in Arlington.
Authorities say the incident happened around 5:45 p.m. on North Collins near Green Oaks Boulevard. Preliminary investigation suggests Allen was driving a Kia Soul south on Collins as a Mazda 6 was northbound nearby on the other side. Investigators allege the Kia was traveling south in the center turn lane with its headlights off when Allen made a sharp left turn. He passed through the northbound lanes and crashed into the Mazda in the outside lane.
Allen suffered serious injuries in the collision. The Mazda driver was unhurt.
After performing field sobriety tests at the hospital, police reportedly arrested Allen on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
No further information is currently available.
Obviously I can't speak one way or the other about authorities' suspicions that impairment was a factor in this wreck. The only right thing to do is let clear evidence speak for itself, and until the blood tests they ordered yield results it's not right to speculate.
However, I would point out that the cause of a crash and the cause of someone's injuries aren't always the same thing. Even if tests confirm that alcohol was a factor on Collins Street, it's still important to learn whether anything else played a part in the damage done. Did the Kia's safety features activate properly upon impact? Were the road's markings clearly visible, and did the streetlights work in that area? Were any other factors overlooked in the rush to pin everything on alcohol?
To be very clear, I wasn't there and I don't know more than the people who were or the investigators who looked into the wreck. I just know from long experience that accidents like this sometimes quickly get swept into a convenient category when further efforts would show there's more to the story. Maybe that's true in Arlington, maybe not, but I'd say the injured victim should be afforded the courtesy of a thorough investigation.
