A fatal crash in Austin early Sunday morning claimed the life of 45-year-old Marvin Taylor and led to the arrest of a 34-year-old man. According to the Austin Police Department, the incident occurred around 1:05 a.m. on May 11, 2025, in the 600 block of E. Koenig Lane. Officials report that the man, who was driving an SUV, rear-ended a van driven by Taylor, who died at the scene. Police arrested the man on a charge of intoxication manslaughter. The investigation is still ongoing.
Whenever I see a report of an alleged drunk driving crash like this one, especially in the early hours of the morning, I think about the questions that still need to be answered beyond just what happened on the road. In my experience, these kinds of cases often raise concerns about where and how the alleged driver became intoxicated in the first place.
Could a Bar or Alcohol Provider Be Partially Responsible?
In Texas, bars and restaurants can be held accountable under the Dram Shop Act if they serve alcohol to someone who is obviously intoxicated and that person goes on to cause harm. If investigators determine that the man had been drinking before the crash, a key question will be whether any business continued to serve him alcohol despite visible signs that he was impaired.
What Evidence Can Help Clarify Where the Alcohol Was Served?
To explore whether dram shop liability might apply, it’s critical to gather as much information as possible about the man’s activities before the crash. That may include surveillance video, receipts, social media posts, witness interviews, and cell phone location data to establish where he was drinking and how he was behaving. Toxicology results and bodycam footage from the arrest may also provide insight into his level of impairment and demeanor at the time of the crash.
Why This Kind of Investigation Matters
In my experience with dram shop cases, I’ve seen how a bar’s decision to ignore obvious signs of intoxication can have serious consequences. If a bar played a role in over-serving an allegedly impaired driver, that deserves just as much scrutiny as what occurred behind the wheel.