Moises Gomez Injured in Auto Accident on Loop 410 in San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, TX — December 4, 2022, 22-year-old Moises Gomez was seriously injured in an auto accident on Loop 410 in San Antonio.
Authorities say the incident happened around 1:25 a.m. on Loop 410 near Interstate 35. Preliminary investigation suggests traffic was blocked by police and a wrecker truck at a previous accident site on the highway. The wrecker driver advised that he would briefly need to block two lanes to adjust the truck's path and officers started to arrange their patrol units to block for him.
An officer then saw Gomez approaching at alleged high speeds in a southbound Chevy Silverado. Despite the officer's attempted to warn or stop him, Gomez reportedly crashed into the tow truck that was across both travel lanes.
Gomez suffered serious injuries in the collision. No other injuries were reported.
Investigators suspected Gomez was under the influence of alcohol and collected blood samples for testing.
No further information is currently available.
Police seem to have reason to think the injured man in this accident was drinking beforehand. I can't say one way or the other whether their suspicions are correct, but hopefully blood tests will have a more decisive say.
If they confirm the victim was impaired as police think, that may mean he'll face some consequences for his choices that night. Some may think that's pretty much the beginning and the end of the matter, but it's not quite that simple. For one thing, he may not actually be the only one to hold accountable for the damage he suffered in that crash.
In Texas and many other states, bars and other alcohol vendors who knowingly and willingly serve their customers far too many drinks may be responsible for the damage those customers cause or suffer while impaired. That's a matter of dram shop law, which holds bad businesses accountable for negligent over-service--and in many cases helps the victims of that negligence get back on their feet.
To be clear, right now alcohol is only a suspicion, not a fact. I'm not saying I know for certain it played a part in San Antonio, let alone that some bar over-served the injured victim. However, if blood tests show he was intoxicated then finding out where and how he got that way should be part of the investigation. Any local business willing to ignore the law for a few more bucks needs a lesson about its priorities, and if someone can get some help with his recovery in the process that's all the more reason to take the needed steps.
