Houston, TX — November 24, 2024, Mario Rivas, Orellana Aldair Gomez, and five others were injured following an alleged drunk driver accident on Loop 610.
Preliminary details about the accident say that it happened along eastbound lanes of the freeway in the area of Liberty Road and Wayside Drive.
According to officials, 57-year-old Mario Rivas Orellana was in a Nissan Altima going along Loop 610. 30-year-old Aldair Ricardo Gomez was in a Mercedes-Benz going the same direction. In a series of events unclear, a Chevy Silverado crashed with Rivas Orellana and Gomez. Due to this, three occupants in the Nissan with Rivas Orellana had serious injuries. Another passenger had moderate injuries. Rivas Orellana and Gomez had possibly minor injuries.
Details say that the Chevy driver had serious injuries, as well. That driver is accused of being under the influence of alcohol, though it’s unclear if any charges or citations are being considered.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When it comes to allegations of drunk driving, folks generally assume that details about charges are soon to follow. It’s possible authorities have been more active behind the scenes to make that happen. But alcohol-related crashes are not the open-and-shut cases people typically see them as. There can be significant hurdles to address. For example, authorities might be busy finding out if a local alcohol provider negligently over-served the driver.
Let me explain. In Texas, bars and other establishments who over-serve someone that’s obviously intoxicated are doing so unlawfully. That means they can potentially face criminal investigations, fines, suspended, licenses, or even liability for the injuries their actions contributed to. Generally speaking, I don’t take for granted that authorities would look into that on their own. I’ve handled hundreds of cases against negligent alcohol providers, and usually we’re the ones who bring the providers to light and bring them to the attention of the authorities.
However, some departments are more motivated than others to be thorough in their investigations, so it could be authorities here are taking those steps. That said, it’s often prudent to follow up with investigators rather than wait around and hope they’ll get the whole story. That way, if people find authorities are coming up short in their efforts, steps can be taken to get independent investigators to look into things more thoroughly.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us