San Antonio, TX — April 3, 2024, Vanesa Ramos and her son were killed due to an alleged drunk driver accident at 8:15 p.m. along Stone Oak Parkway.
Initial details about the accident say that it happened off the corner of Stone Oak Parkway and Estate Hill Drive.
Authorities said that 39-year-old Vanesa Ramos and her 5-year-old son were on a walk at the time on the sidewalk along the northbound lanes of Stone Oak Parkway. While walking, police say an Audi SUV ran off-road, went onto the sidewalk, and hit Ramos and her son. As a result, both Ramos and her son were killed.
The driver of the vehicle was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Authorities said they’re recommending charges for intoxication manslaughter.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Drunk driving is a serious problem all across the state, and accidents like this inevitably bring up the question folks ask seemingly all too often: What can we do to stop drunk driving accidents? There are many potential answers to consider, but a lot of public discourse revolves solely around the drunk drivers themselves. Obviously, drunk drivers should face consequences. What that fails to address, though, is that there’s often an accomplice to these deadly accidents: the alcohol providers that illegally over-served the drivers.
Late at night, a lot of drunk driving accidents happen after someone is illegally over-served by a bar, restaurant, or similar establishment. Texas law recognizes their role in putting communities in danger, so there are multiple legal paths to holding them accountable, including criminal investigations, civil liability, and fines and license suspensions. Does all that fly out the window just because there’s a driver who we can point the finger at? Do they get off scot-free just because the scope of a police investigation rarely extends beyond the crash scene?
Put simply, I’ve worked with hundreds of families over the years whose worlds were turned upside-down by a drunk driver illegally over-served by an alcohol provider. None of them would say they just wanted a bad guy to blame. They would say exactly what they told us when they first called: they wanted accountability. Seeking out and holding accountable those negligent establishments accomplishes that while also getting them to clean up their act before they get more people hurt.
That’s why it frustrates me that authorities generally aren’t more proactive about seeking out alcohol providers on their own. At the end of the day, the fewer alcohol providers there are over-serving people, the fewer drunk driving wrecks there will be. Obviously, it’s just one step in the larger struggle against drunk driving, but it’s a crucial one I rarely every see anyone discuss publicly. That has to change.
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