Austin, TX — October 27, 2024, a pedestrian sustained injuries due to an alleged drunk driver accident at around 8:21 p.m. along Bastrop Highway.
According to initial details about the accident, it happened in the area of the Bastrop Hwy./TX-71 and Thompson Lane intersection.
It appears that a man was on foot at the time off the shoulder along northbound lanes of the highway. While there, authorities say that a Dodge Challenger going at an unsafe speed rear-ended a Toyota Scion. This caused the Scion to run off-road where it struck the pedestrian.
The pedestrian sustained serious injuries due to the accident. No other injuries were reported. Authorities allege in their statements that the Dodge driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time. They recommended charges for DWI.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
As complex as this series of events is, there’s one factor that no doubt stands out: the allegations that the at-fault driver was drunk. That may lead folks to believe this accident is more open-and-shut than it likely is. Simply put, alcohol-related accidents often involve an accomplice: a negligent alcohol provider. Is that something authorities are looking into?
Under Texas dram shop laws, alcohol providers have a legal obligation to stop serving someone who is obviously intoxicated. If an establishment ignored this responsibility and continued to serve alcohol, they may share accountability for an accident resulting from that intoxication. They may be exposed to potential criminal investigations, fines, suspended licenses, or liability for the resulting injuries.
Unfortunately, authorities often overlook this. I’ve handled hundreds of alcohol-related accident cases. Far too many of them involved alcohol providers who completely flew under the radar until the victims or families involved happened to contact professionals who had experience holding negligent bars accountable. Had things been left solely to the authorities, they may never have learned that there was an accomplice responsible for their hardships.
So while I can’t say for certain what all led to this accident, there are some far too familiar red flags. Hopefully steps have been taken to consider all contributing factors here to ensure that all wrongdoers face appropriate consequences.
