Patrick Thompson Webb, Angeline Caresse Hoyle Killed in Accident in Leander, TX
Leander, TX -- A suspected alcohol related crash in the area of Leander, TX left Patrick Thompson Webb, 24, and Angeline Caresse Hoyle, 23, dead Saturday, February 25, 2017.
The incident took place near 2900 Hero Way around 3:35 a.m.
The report claims a person passing the scene of the collision notified 911 that a vehicle had crashed into a tree. The details provided by the report are limited, but it appears the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the incident. Though it has not been determined, police believe alcohol may have been a factor.
Representatives with the Leander, TX Police Department claim the victims were last seen at a downtown Austin bar around 2 a.m.
The official investigation into the deadly crash is ongoing.
map of the area
Commentary
Based upon the details of the report, it seems pretty apparent the driver in this accident was intoxicated. You don't have to be Philip Marlowe to deduce this based upon the facts. The report claims the accident happened around 3 a.m. and the Leander Police Department claim the victims were last seen at a bar around 2 a.m.
The tendency for the general public may be to blame the driver in accidents like this and then leave it at that. But, if a more thorough investigation proves the allegations the victims were at a bar prior to the accident, there may be another party that bears some responsibility here.
To what am I referring? Well, according to Texas law, bars that illegally over-serve intoxicated patrons may face a cause of action by victims against the negligent establishment. Thanks to legislation passed by Austin lawmakers, dram shop law holds bars to a standard of responsible alcohol service. This means bars are required to recognize when a person is intoxicated and cut them off.
There are some who believe blaming a bar takes some of the responsibility away from the driver. I agree that the driver shares some responsibility for this accident. However, I feel bars should be held to responsibly serve a potentially dangerous product. I don't want to give the impression this is just me spouting off my opinion; this is the law in the state of Texas.
When bars apply for a license to serve alcohol, they make an agreement to do so responsibly. When they fail to meet this standard, they break the law. This leaves bars open to pay the consequence of padding the bill in the face of public safety. If we can all agree drunk drivers should face the music for breaking the law, why should bars that illegally over-serve them be let off the hook?
--Grossman Law Offices