Amarillo, TX — January 3, 2025, Clebson Da Silva was killed and two were injured in an alleged intoxicated driver accident at 9:37 p.m. on Soncy Road.

According to initial details from police officials, the crash happened near the intersection of Soncy and Legend Avenue, south of I-40.

Clebson Da Silva Alleged Intoxicated Driver Accident in Amarillo, TX

Investigators said that 35-year-old Clebson Roberto Hillario Da Silva, a 34-year-old woman, and a child were in a Ford Escape going northbound along Soncy. From the southbound lane, authorities say that a Dodge Ram left is lane, went left of center, and crashed into Da Silva’s Ford.

As a result of the collision, Clebson Da Silva was killed. The woman and child in the Ford were injured. Authorities at this time allege that the Dodge driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. They recommended charges for intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

If the allegations here are true, then people may be too quick to consider this all open-and-shut. Obviously, driving while intoxicated warrants consequences, but there could be more than just one wrongdoer who contributed to this accident. I’ve handled hundreds of cases involving intoxicated drivers, and many of them were unlawfully over-served by a negligent alcohol provider. Too often, authorities completely overlook those alcohol providers when they could be ensuring that those establishments also face appropriate consequences.

For example, I had a case not long ago where a drunk driver turned into oncoming traffic and hit a family’s car head-on. Authorities were quick to charge the drunk driver, but their investigations ended there. Meanwhile, the family contacted us for a second opinion, and our independent investigations found the bar that served the drunk driver. There was a mountain of evidence showing that server recklessly over-served the man beyond the point he could barely walk without falling over. This meant the bar could have faced criminal investigations, fines, or even a suspended or revoked liquor license. Instead, the only reason that negligent alcohol provider ever faced consequences was because the family sought out independent avenues which led to the bar being held liable for the injuries their actions contributed to.

Having worked in this field for over thirty years, that sort of situation is all too common. Perhaps authorities have been more thorough here and are working to ensure the victims and families involved in the crash see a just resolution for the harm done to them. In my experience, though, that’s not something anyone can take for granted.

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