UPDATE (June 4, 2024): Further statements from authorities say that the 39-year-old man in the BMW ultimately succumbed to his injuries following the crash. Right now, other details are still under investigation.
Montgomery County, TX — April 27, 2024, four people were injured due to an alleged drunk driver accident at around 7:25 p.m. along F.M. 1314.
Initial details about the accident say that it happened off the corner of F.M. 1314 and Village Way, just outside Porter Heights south of Conroe.
According to officials, a 39-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and a 13-year-old girl were in a BMW that was going southbound on F.M. 1314. From the northbound lanes, authorities say that a Ford F-150 veered over the center turn lane and into the southbound lanes where it crashed into the BMW and a Hyundai Elantra. As a result, all three occupants of the BMW and the Ford driver had serious injuries.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Currently, it’s alleged that the Ford driver was under the influence of alcohol. If that’s true, are authorities looking into where that alcohol came from? Let me explain why that matters.
I had a case not long ago where, much like what’s described here, a drunk driver drove into oncoming traffic and hit a family head-on. In that case, we conducted independent investigations and found that the bar where the driver had been drinking broke the law and over-served the man. He got to the point he could barely walk, let alone drive, yet the servers negligently continued serving him. Not only did that make them liable for the injuries resulting from that intoxication, but it also opened the establishment up to criminal investigations, potential fines, and possibly revoking of their liquor license.
The problem, though, is that authorities were no where to be found in that case. It’s unfortunately common that authorities charge drunk drivers, then move on like there’s nothing else to consider. But a significant portion of accidents involving alcohol happen due both to drunk drivers and the negligent alcohol providers who over-serve them. For a family whose world was turned upside-down, would it ever be acceptable to hold one person who wronged them accountable but let another wrongdoer off the hook? Thinking back on the hundreds of families I’ve worked with, I can’t recall one that would think that’s okay. That’s why there should always be steps to ensure a serious accident like this gets the attention it deserves.
