Lee County, TX — October 1, 2024, Wesley Hayes was killed following an alleged drunk driver accident at around 7:36 p.m. along Austin Street.
According to initial details about the accident, it happened in the area of West Austin Street and Rolling Oaks Drive.
Investigators said that 32-year-old Wesley Hayes was in a Chevy pickup going westbound on Austin Street. From the oncoming lanes, it appears a Ford F-150 crossed left of center, crashing into Hayes’s pickup.
As a result of the collision, Hayes was killed. The other driver had no reported injuries. That driver is accused of being under the influence of alcohol at the time, and authorities recommended charges for intoxication manslaughter. Investigations continue.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Right now, the details surrounding this accident all seem pretty straight-forward. But despite what some may think, alcohol-related accidents are almost never simple or open-and-shut. That’s because there is often an accomplice to these accidents that even authorities tend to overlook: a negligent alcohol provider.
Let me give an example. I had a family come to us a while back after a drunk driver went into oncoming lanes and crashed head-on into their vehicle. They figured authorities had everything under control, but they just wanted a second opinion just in case. Well, authorities never looked into where the driver had been drinking. That only came to light after our independent investigations. Afterward, the family was shocked authorities never conducted their own investigations.
This bar recklessly and unlawfully over-served the guy over the course of just a few hours. It got to the point he could barely walk to the bathroom without nearly falling over, yet the drinks kept coming. So long as the guy was buying, the servers were pouring. They clearly didn’t give a damn about the safety of others, let alone the law, and it led to a devastating accident for which they had to answer for. Had things been left solely up to the efforts of police, they likely would have just flown under the radar until their actions got more people hurt.
Simply put, this is an all too common occurrence. Authorities have their own priorities, and once someone is facing charges, they tend to move on. In my experience, people don’t just want some bad guy to blame. They want accountability. Obviously, if a drunk driver causes a serious accident, they should face the appropriate consequences. But if a local alcohol provider also broke the law and contributed to the accident, they, too, should face the appropriate consequences. That’s not just my opinion; that’s Texas law. This is why I can’t help wondering if there’s more to this story than the preliminary details authorities have released so far.
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