UPDATE: Authorities identified the two people seriously injured in the accident as 63-year-old Aurora Escobedo Gamez and 54-year-old Manuel Gamez Ballesteros.
Caldwell County, TX — May 25, 2024, a Dale woman and one other were injured following an alleged drunk driver accident at around 10:41 p.m. on U.S. 183.
According to officials, the crash took place in the area of Oak Grove Road a few miles south of Lockhart.
Investigators said that a 63-year-old Dale woman and a 54-year-old man were in a Chevy HHR going northbound along U.S. Highway 183. It appears a southbound Honda Civic driver was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, leading to the Honda going into northbound lanes. As a result, the vehicles collided.
The woman and the man in the Chevy had reportedly serious injuries due to the crash. The other driver had no reported injuries. Authorities recommended several charges for the Honda driver, including intoxication assault.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
As many charges as authorities recommended for the driver here, is that the only person they investigated? It might surprise people how often crashes like the one described here involve a 3rd party accomplice who can also be held accountable: a bar.
Simply put, if an alcohol provider illegally over-serves someone, and that leads to people getting hurt, the alcohol provider bears responsibility for their role in the accident. They can face criminal investigations, fines, license suspensions, and even liability for the victims’ injuries. The reason not a lot of people know about this is because it’s not something authorities tend to prioritize. I’ve handled hundreds of cases against negligent alcohol providers, and rarely are authorities working on their own to seek out those alcohol providers. Our investigations are often what puts those negligent establishments on the authorities’ radar.
Just to be clear, that all may not apply to this specific accident. It’s just something I discuss a lot on this blog because it’s an important part of Texas law that doesn’t get enough attention. There are avenues available through which victims and families harmed by drunk drivers can see accountability for all whose actions wronged them. It’s a shame how many families don’t take advantage of those avenues simply because no one bothered telling them those options existed.
