Sunnyvale, TX — December 1, 2024, Jonathan D. Washington was killed due to a wrong-way driver accident at around 2:00 a.m. on U.S. Highway 80.
Details at this time say that the crash happened along eastbound lanes of U.S. 80 near Lawson Road.
It appears that Jonathan D. Washington was in a Dodge Challenger traveling along eastbound U.S. 80 back toward Forney. While doing so, it’s said a wrong-way driver crashed head-on into Washington’s vehicle. Due to the collision, Washington was killed.
Following the accident, authorities say they arrested the wrong way driver. They allege the driver was drunk at the time, and they reported charges of intoxication manslaughter and DWI.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
One of the most frustrating things about alleged drunk driving accidents, especially involving wrong-way drivers, is that they don’t often get the attention they deserve. It may not seem that way, considering these accidents make the news, and authorities are quick to charge the accused drunk driver. However, there’s often an accomplice authorities completely overlook: a negligent alcohol provider. Is anyone looking into that possibility here?
To sum up a rather complex area of Texas law, alcohol providers who over-serve someone that is obviously intoxicated are serving alcohol unlawfully. This can expose them to potential criminal investigations, fines, suspended licenses, and liability if the intoxication gets people hurt or killed. Well, at just after 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, it’s virtually guaranteed a drunk driver was out at a local establishment. On top of that, if they’re so intoxicated they get on the wrong side of the road, it’s almost always the case the driver was extremely intoxicated. As such, it would be outright irresponsible not to find out if a wrong-way driver responsible for a deadly crash had been drinking at a local bar.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t surprise me if that wasn’t getting any attention here. I’ve handled hundreds of cases involving negligent alcohol providers. Frankly, I’m used to seeing authorities charge drivers, then move on as though that’s all there is to know. Meanwhile, there could be a negligent alcohol provider who contributed to the accident still out there putting the community at risk. In my experience, families don’t want some bad guy to blame. They want accountability. That means ensuring that all parties who contributed to the accident answer for their actions. Whether or not steps those steps are being taken here remains to be seen, but it’s certainly not something I’d ever take for granted.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us