Police in Aransas Pass are investigating a two-vehicle collision that left two people dead and three others injured early Monday morning. The crash occurred around 2:53 a.m. on Highway 361 near Harbor Island Road. Authorities allege a Dodge Ram 2500, occupied by a male driver and two female passengers, struck a parked Kia sedan on the roadside. The impact caused the truck to roll, killing both the driver and one passenger at the scene. The surviving passenger was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries and both occupants in the Kia were treated for injuries. Police arrested the driver of the Kia for suspected intoxication.
Whenever I see reports like this one, I have many questions about what led to this crash. In this case, I question when and where the alleged drunk driver started drinking.
Could a Bar or Alcohol Provider Have Overserved the Driver?
In Texas, businesses that serve alcohol to patrons who are already obviously intoxicated can be held liable if that person goes on to cause injury or death. This is known as dram shop liability. In this case, if the Kia driver had recently left a bar or restaurant, investigators need to determine whether they were overserved.
Police have stated that alcohol was allegedly a factor and that the Kia’s driver was arrested for DWI. That opens the door to investigating where they drank, how much they consumed, and whether staff at an alcohol-serving establishment ignored signs that they were no longer safe to drive.
Evidence That Needs to Be Examined
To understand what led up to this crash, investigators should examine where the Kia driver was before the collision and whether they had been drinking at a bar or restaurant. If so, it’s important to determine whether they were served additional alcohol despite showing clear signs of intoxication. That includes reviewing receipts, obtaining surveillance footage, and speaking with any witnesses who were present at the time. Investigators should also collect and analyze blood alcohol test results and piece together a timeline that shows how intoxicated the driver may have been when they left those locations.
Why Answering These Questions Requires Thorough Investigation
From my experience with dram shop cases, I’ve learned that initial reports rarely tell the whole story when alcohol is allegedly involved. While criminal charges like DWI can address individual responsibility, they don’t always shed light on how a person allegedly came to be over the limit in the first place. A thorough investigation is needed to determine exactly what led up to this crash.