Shelley Ilyssa Davis Injured in Car Accident in Lewisville, TX
Lewisville, TX — October 23, 2023, Shelley Ilyssa Davis was injured as the result of a possible drunk driving accident on I-35E in 10:14 p.m.
Authorities said in initial statements that the accident happened along northbound lanes of the interstate in the area of West Valley Ridge Boulevard.
According to officials, 26-year-old Shelley Davis was in a Honda Accord traveling along the interstate. Possibly due to a tire blowout or an object in the road, it appears the Honda lost control, hit the barrier, and bounced into lanes of travel. An 18-wheeler swerved to avoid the Honda, instead hitting a Lexus. Sometime after the initial crash, a Dodge Ram then crashed into Davis's Honda.
As a result of the accident, Davis had injuries described as incapacitating. There were no other confirmed injuries. While details aren't confirmed right now, authorities said they arrested the driver of the Dodge Ram for intoxication assault.
Considering all the chaos here and all the separate collisions, I'm actually rather surprised to see authorities say they arrested someone for intoxication assault. That means they believe that the alleged drunk driver's intoxication was the proximate cause of the victim's injuries. How strong could their evidence be that they think that?
I've handled plenty of situations which require my team and I to prove that someone's intoxication is the proximate cause of someone's injuries. For example, a personal injury claim against a bar is based on Texas law saying that alcohol providers can be liable for an accident if they over-serve someone who is obviously intoxicated, and that person's intoxication is the proximate cause of the victim's injuries. I certainly would never make such claims without being confident in the evidence, but the burden of proof in a civil case is simply proving that something is true more likely than not.
For authorities recommending criminal charges, however, they have to be confident that they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone's intoxication was the proximate cause of a victim's injuries. That's why I can't help wondering what kind of evidence authorities saw that made them confident prosecutors would be able to clear that significantly higher bar.
