Dallas, TX — February 18, 2024, Alexis Rodriguez Torres was killed and Paola Montiel was injured after a car accident at around 4:42 a.m. on U.S. 175.
According to initial details about the accident, the crash happened near the intersection of U.S. 175/C. F. Hawn Freeway and St. Augustine Drive.
Investigators said that 29-year-old Alexis Rodriguez Torres was in a Ford Focus while 24-year-old Paola Montiel was in a Toyota Corolla. Details say that Montiel was going eastbound, and the Ford was apparently going the wrong direction and crashed head-on with the Toyota. As a result, Rodriguez Torres was killed. Montiel had reportedly serious injuries.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Right now, authorities allege that alcohol was a factor in the crash. To be clear, I’m not bringing this up to upset anyone or to throw blame around. On the contrary, there could be a lot more to this story that authorities may not be talking about with the people affected by this accident.
Anytime alcohol is a factor in a crash, it’s important to find out where that alcohol came from. In nearly every crash like this one, there’s a negligent bar or similar establishment who contributed to the accident by over-serving someone who was obviously intoxicated. Doing so opens them up to possible criminal investigations, fines, license suspensions, and even civil liability when people get hurt as a result of the over-service.
The problem, though, is that authorities rarely extend the scope of their investigations beyond the people directly involved in the crash. I’ve handled hundreds of civil cases against bars and other establishments, and I rarely see simultaneous investigations from the authorities. I’ve even had cases where our team investigated a negligent bar, handed evidence of their wrongdoing to the authorities on a silver platter, and they still didn’t take steps to pursue consequences.
Simply put, holding alcohol providers accountable for breaking the law and contributing to deadly accidents just isn’t a high priority for most police departments. Some do their due diligence to ensure there’s accountability, but many only take action after the victims and families have already sought out alternative avenues to get the justice they deserve.
Texas law is clear: alcohol providers are responsible for their negligent actions that lead to serious accidents. The challenge is simply finding the people who will actually enforce that law. It’s possible authorities here are being exceptionally thorough and ensuring that happens. From experience, though, I’m not going to hold my breath.
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