Adriana Olivan Killed in Alleged Drunk Driving Accident in El Paso, TX
El Paso, TX — February 5, 2023, Adriana Olivan was killed in a collision with a suspected DWI driver around 1:20 a.m. on Stanton Street in El Paso.
Authorities allege Anthonio Machorro, in a Chevy Camaro, was a wrong-way, drunk driver when the Camaro collided with Adriana Olivan's northbound Dodge Journey, then hit two parked vehicles nearby.
Adriana Olivan and Anthonio Machorro were both taken to a hospital. Officials report that Adriana Olivan succumbed to her injuries. Machorro reportedly suffered serious injuries, while a passenger in the Camero suffered minor injuries.
According to investigators, Machorro went to several local bars using a borrowed ID to buy drinks before the accident. Anthonio Machorro was arrested and charged with intoxicated manslaughter.
No further information is currently available.
If clear evidence confirms what the police suspect and the press conveyed here, I wouldn't be too surprised. Statistically speaking the most common reason someone travels the wrong direction on a one-way road is that they're impaired; couple that with the young suspect's apparent admission of drinking and the serious charge he now faces seems more than warranted. However, if any bar—let alone several—provided an underage person with alcohol there may be more to this story.
Given the accident's reported circumstances and the driver saying he drank "multiple shots at several bars," it seems further investigation is in order. Either he's an exact twin of the person whose ID he borrowed or some local alcohol vendors are too lax about who they pour for. Also, if evidence shows the suspect was significantly over the legal limit then a bar may have violated Texas dram shop law by serving an obviously intoxicated customer. If so, that bar may be due for more than one sharp lesson about getting its act together.
I can't say whether or not a dram shop violation occurred before this wreck, but it seems prudent to trace that young man's steps backward through the night. More than one bar seemingly needs a refresher on carefully checking ID, and the last one to serve him a drink may also share some responsibility for the fatal injuries he caused in the crash on Stanton Street. At the very least it's important to look into those issues to help protect the community from future accidents, but that same investigation could also help bring answers and help to a family who faces a future without their loved one. That's more than enough reason to take appropriate action.
