Patricia Laureles Injured in Auto Accident on Front Street in Midland, TX
Midland, TX — November 23, 2022, 41-year-old Patricia Laureles was seriously injured in an auto accident on Front Street in Midland.
Authorities say the incident happened around 9:15 p.m. on East Front Street at Fairgrounds Road. Preliminary investigation suggests Laureles was driving a Ford Fusion east on the roadway when she turned toward northbound Fairgrounds. She allegedly failed to yield while turning and entered the path of a westbound Chevy Express van driven by 61-year-old Bertha Barragan. The vehicles collided in the westbound lanes of Front Street.
Laureles suffered serious injuries in the collision. Barragan and a passenger in the van reportedly received minor injuries.
Investigators alleged that alcohol consumption might have played a role in the wreck.
No further information is currently available.
Some may have taken the mention of alcohol as a guarantee it was a factor, but it's important to realize that looking into impairment is often part of a standard crash investigation. Whether police strongly suspect it or just guessed based on what happened, in the end only facts and evidence can say whether they're right.
If blood tests confirm alcohol was a factor that could have further implications, but until they're available it's important not to ignore or exclude other possible explanations for the crash. There are a lot of reasons a car might turn into another's path; some (e.g. intoxication or inattention) would be within a driver's control, but many others (blown tire, medical emergency, vehicle malfunction or defect) are much less so.
Rather than just assuming a crash is a product of human error, it's always important to investigate carefully and with an open mind to be sure the whole story is learned. Everyone affected by an accident deserves no less, so I hope that's what authorities delivered in Midland.
