Spring Branch, TX — September 22, 2024, 59-year-old Chanda Gaeth was injured in a crash with a suspected DWI driver on U.S. Highway 281 in Comal County.
According to authorities, the incident happened around 11:40 p.m. on US-291 close to Ottie and Alfred Lane. Preliminary investigation suggests a Dodge Ram 1500 was driving south on the 10900 block of the highway, but allegedly was traveling in the northbound lanes. Shortly afterward, the southbound pickup crashed into Gaeth in another Ram 1500 headed north.
Chanda Gaeth suffered serious injuries in the accident and was taken to an area hospital. The southbound driver may have received injuries; authorities suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and collected blood samples for testing.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Some might think the serious Intoxication Assault charges police recommended for the wrong-way driver are essentially all the consequences anyone should expect after this crash. Charges may provide some moral satisfaction as a bad actor will have his day in court, but otherwise they don’t really help the person hurt the most by his poor choices. To that end, it’s important to consider all aspects of the accident.
For example, since police strongly suspect alcohol was a factor the offending driver may not be the only one responsible for the damage done on the highway. If a bar or other alcohol vendor illegally over-served him before his drive, that business may be liable for the victim’s injuries under Texas dram shop law. Dram shop is an invaluable tool both for correcting bars’ reckless behavior and for getting much-needed help to the people that behavior hurts.
Despite how obviously important it is to stop law-breaking bars from endangering communities, I’ve learned over the years that police don’t look too hard for dram shop violations. If a bar or other vendor may have contributed to what happened in Spring Branch, then someone else may have to look for clear evidence to ensure that business doesn’t walk away scot-free. The victim deserves the whole story and every bit of help he can get—from everyone that hurt him.
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