Jesse Gutierrez, Jacqueline Gutierrez, 2 Injured in Car Accident in Glenn Heights, TX
Dallas County, TX — October 19, 2023, Jesse Gutierrez, Jacqueline Gutierrez, and two others were injured after a car accident at around 9:00 p.m. on Hampton Road.
According to initial details released by the authorities, the crash took place at the intersection of South Hampton Road and Bear Creek Road.
Investigators said that 29-year-old Jesse Gutierrez, 31-year-old Jacqueline Gutierrez, and two children were in a Jeep Cherokee which was going northbound just off the intersection. From oncoming lanes, authorities say that a southbound Kia Forte somehow went left of center, crashing into the Jeep.
As a result of the collision, both Jesse and Jacqueline Gutierrez had apparently incapacitating injuries. One of the children in the Jeep had non-incapacitating injuries, as did the man riding as a passenger in the Kia. Authorities allege that the woman driving the Kia was under the influence of alcohol at the time, and authorities recommended charges for intoxication assault. No further information has been confirmed yet.
I've often found that when people think of drunk driving wrecks, they imagine it must have happened in the early morning hours or on a weekend. But they happen at all times of the day, and 9:00 p.m. on a Thursday isn't as quiet as one may think when it comes to people drinking and driving.
I recall a personal injury case against a bar I handled a while back, for example. It was just a few hours after a typical work day, and a drunk driver turned into oncoming traffic and hit a family's car head-on, seriously injuring a young kid. Investigating the events preceding the crash, we found that the driver met up with co-workers after work at a local bar having a late afternoon happy hour. In a short window of time, the establishment poured the guy drink after drink until he could barely walk out the door, meaning they illegally over-serving him and opened themselves of to liability for their role in the crash as well as potential criminal charges and administrative penalties through the TABC.
Day or night, it doesn't take long at all for someone to put lives at risk. That's why no matter what time of day or what day of the week a crash like this happens, it's important authorities know the whole story. Hopefully authorities handling this crash are considering not only the alleged drunk driver's actions but also whether or not other factors led up to this crash which also need to be addressed.
