Late Tuesday night, a wrong-way crash on Harry Wurzbach Road in San Antonio resulted in the death of 28-year-old Karina Ramirez and injuries to two young girls. According to police, a pickup truck allegedly traveling in the wrong direction collided head-on with Ramirez’s vehicle near Eisenhauer Road around 9:30 p.m. Ramirez had just left a nearby store and was reportedly only blocks from home. The two passengers—identified as 9-year-old Skyla Wolford and 7-year-old Aliyah Frautschi—were taken to the hospital for treatment. The driver of the pickup was also hospitalized and has since been arrested on allegations of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.
Whenever a crash involves an alleged drunk driver, one of the most important questions is where that person was drinking before they got behind the wheel and whether a bar or alcohol provider may have served them past the point of obvious intoxication.
Can a Bar or Alcohol Provider Be Held Liable Under Texas Dram Shop Law?
Under Texas law, alcohol-serving establishments can be held financially responsible if they serve alcohol to someone who is obviously intoxicated to the extent that they present a clear danger to themselves and others and that intoxication leads to a crash. This is known as a dram shop claim, and it applies to bars, restaurants, clubs, and other licensed providers. If the pickup driver had been drinking at such a place before the crash, the business could potentially share responsibility for what happened.
What Kind of Evidence Helps Build a Dram Shop Case?
In these situations, investigators and attorneys often look for credit card receipts, surveillance footage, and witness testimony showing how much alcohol the driver allegedly consumed, how they were behaving, and whether they showed signs of obvious intoxication. In my experience, it’s not uncommon for bartenders or servers to overlook or ignore obvious signs that someone should be cut off.
Why This Type of Investigation Matters
While criminal charges may address the driver’s conduct, they don’t fully answer how or why that person was in a position to cause harm in the first place. A dram shop investigation can help identify whether others enabled that behavior and contributed to the crash.