Pedestrian Struck by Vehicle on Front Street in Midland, TX
Midland, TX — February 3, 2023, a male pedestrian was struck and injured by a vehicle on Front Street in Midland.
Authorities say the incident happened before dawn Friday along Front Street near Texas Avenue. Preliminary investigation suggests the man, described as "presumably intoxicated," attempted to cross the roadway on foot. As he entered the westbound lanes he was hit and injured by a Chevy Tahoe. The driver remained at the scene after the collision.
The pedestrian was airlifted to a Lubbock hospital. No other injuries were reported.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is currently available.
One detail that authorities mentioned here is their belief the pedestrian had "presumably" been drinking. Some might consider that not a big deal; he walked instead of getting behind the wheel, so if anything shouldn't that be commended? In some ways perhaps, but if authorities' "presumption" is confirmed by clear evidence then that impairment could still be an issue—particularly if a bar or restaurant illegally over-served him to the point that he put himself in danger.
Not long ago a man's family came to me about a similar incident, after he spent the day drinking at a local bowling alley and then tried to walk home. Looking further into the matter, we learned the bowling alley egregiously over-served him and he was highly disoriented after leaving. He wandered onto a freeway on-ramp where he was struck and killed by a passing car. What folks initially wrote off as a careless pedestrian actually was a violation of Texas dram shop law, and the alley was held accountable for willfully breaking that law.
Maybe nothing of the sort happened in Midland, but the circumstances of the collision and the serious injuries that followed are more than enough reason to follow up not only on whether the pedestrian was impaired as suspected, but if so who helped him get that way. Every accident deserves careful and thorough investigation to be sure the whole story is learned, and this certainly is no exception.
