Basic Facts
Crash date: 3-7-2026
Crash location: Margarita Lane east of the Montiel Drive intersection in Rio Bravo, TX
People involved:
- Girl, 5
- Felipa Rodriguez, 60
- Unidentified Man, 28
Do Authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash?: yes
Did authorities recommend criminal charges?: Yes
Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash?: Unknown
Accident Report
March 7, 2026, a girl was killed and Felipa Rodriguez and another person were injured due to an alleged intoxicated driver accident around midnight on Margarita Lane.
Authorities say the crash happened south of Laredo off the west side of US 83 along Margarita Lane. It appears a 5-year-old girl was in an SUV reportedly parked along Margarita Lane while 60-year-old Felipa Rodriguez was on foot outside of the vehicle. While there, a 28-year-old man in another vehicle—a Dodge Charger—reportedly crashed into the SUV. Due to the collision, the young girl from the SUV was killed. Both Felipa Rodriguez and the man from the Charger were seriously hurt and taken to the hospital.
The man driving the charger is accused of being intoxicated at the time. Authorities said in preliminary statements they were recommending charges for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Additional details are pending further investigations.
How Did This Accident Occur?
Clearly, authorities believe intoxicated driving played a role in this crash. But if that’s true, why does this report say it’s “unknown” if alcohol was involved? Well, simply put, intoxicated driving can refer to drugs or alcohol—even both. Believe it or not, there is a significant difference between the two legally speaking. The possible charges and who all may be responsible can change drastically between crashes involving drugs and those involving alcohol. Let me explain.
I have handled hundreds of accidents involving intoxicated drivers. In cases where a driver was drunk, the investigations have to extend beyond the crash scene. Evidence might show the driver was unlawfully over-served by a local bar or similar establishment. Those alcohol providers, then, may be responsible for contributing to the accident under Texas law. That means not only might the driver need to be held accountable, the establishment that over-served them may be held accountable, as well.
With drugs, however, the investigations tend to begin and end behind the wheel. This is why it’s important for authorities to make this distinction and to follow up accordingly. If a family thinks that the story ends once there’s a driver to blame, that could allow an accomplice to fly under the radar.
In my career, I can’t recall any families I’ve helped following similar accidents who just wanted someone to blame. They wanted to see accountability. That means ensuring all responsible parties face appropriate consequences. Whatever ultimately happened here, finding out if alcohol or a drug was the intoxicant could be the first step on seeing there’s a just resolution for all of this.
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