Harris County, TX — June 2, 2024, Jennifer Mahoney, Erroll St. Julian, and one other were injured following an alleged DWI accident at 4:30 a.m. on Highway 146.
Preliminary details about the accident say that it happened along southbound lanes of Highway 146 in the area of Wharton Weems Boulevard.
According to officials, 45-year-old Jennifer Mahoney and 41-year-old Erroll St. Julian were in a Ford Fusion going southbound on the highway. A Dodge Challenger was reportedly going northbound in the southbound lanes, and the vehicles collided head-on as a result. Mahoney and the other driver had serious injuries while St. Julian’s injuries were possibly minor.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
At this time, details show that the wrong-way driver was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. If evidence proves that to be true, it wouldn’t be surprising. Frankly, it would be more surprising if there was no alcohol involved, since drunk driving is almost always the cause of wrong-way accidents. That said, it’s important not to focus solely on that driver’s actions but also to find out where they were prior to the wreck. In my experience, there’s a strong possibility that driver was illegally over-served by an alcohol provider.
Across hundreds of cases I’ve handled involving alcohol, the ones involving wrong-way drivers usually involved extremely intoxicated drivers well beyond the legal limit. If a bar or some similar establishment serves someone to that point, they’re likely breaking the law, and that can expose them to criminal investigations, fines, license suspensions, and liability for any resulting injuries. But many of those establishments slip under the radar because authorities charge the drunk drivers and consider the matter closed.
Put simply, an alcohol provider willing to serve someone to the point they can’t tell they’re going into oncoming traffic is likely to do so again, and that means someone else will inevitably get hurt unless that establishment cleans up its act. So not only could further investigations here see a wrongdoer held accountable for their role in the injuries suffered here, it could actually make the roads safer for everyone. The question is if authorities ever took those steps or if there are gaps that need to be filled in by independent investigations.
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