Bexar County, TX — August 24, 2024, Saul Sanchez Nava was killed and Norma Cadena Hernandez and three others were injured in an alleged intoxicated driver accident at around 10:39 p.m. on Loop 1604.
According to initial details from authorities, the accident took place southwest of San Antonio north of the Loop 1604 and Old Pearsall Road intersection.
Investigators said that 54-year-old Saul Sanchez Nava, 54-year-old Norma Cadena Hernandez, a teenager, and a young child were in a Ford Explorer pickup going northbound on Loop 1604. It appears there was a Jeep Grand Cherokee going southbound, driving in the northbound lanes. As a result, the Jeep crashed head-on with Sanchez Nava’s pickup.
Due to the collision, Sanchez Nava was killed. Cadena Hernandez, both minors, and the driver of the Jeep reportedly had serious injuries. Currently, details allege that the Jeep driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Authorities recommended that driver be charged for intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. No further information can be confirmed right now.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
If the allegations here are true, I haven’t seen any further statements from authorities about where this alleged drunk driver may have been drinking. While that might not sound important, there could be an accomplice to all of this who also should be held accountable for their role in a deadly wreck. But if authorities began and ended their efforts at the alleged drunk driver, that may have slipped through the cracks.
Simply put, alcohol providers who unlawfully over-serve folks that are obviously intoxicated can potentially face criminal investigations, fines, suspended licenses, and liability for resulting deaths or injuries. Too often, though, they fly under the radar. I’ve handled hundreds of cases against negligent alcohol providers, and I can’t count how many times authorities completely overlooked them unless we brought them to light through our own investigations.
At the end of the day, Texas law provides avenues through which both drunk drivers and the negligent establishments who over-serve them can face consequences for their actions. In my experience, victims and families generally want to know all who wronged them are being held accountable. So were steps taken here to see that happened, or did authorities miss something important because the scope of their investigations was too narrow?
