Uvalde County, TX — June 6, 2021, 44-year-old Michael Deleon was killed and 4 individuals have been critically injured in a crash on U.S. Freeway 83 in Uvalde County.
Authorities say the incident occurred round 6:20 p.m. on US-83 close to County Street 390 and Comfortable Hole. Preliminary investigation suggests 49-year-old Clayton Lindsey was driving a Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck north on US-83 as Michael Deleon was driving a Ford F-150 pickup south in the identical space. Lindsey reportedly veered sharply left, coming into the southbound lane and collided head-on with the Ford truck. each items got here to relaxation on the level of impression.
Matthew Deleon was fatally injured within the crash. His spouse Deanna Deleon, a passenger within the Ford, suffered severe accidents. Clayton Lindsey and passengers Stacy Anderson and Jody Malone additionally sustained severe accidents within the wreck.
Lindsey admitted to investigators he consumed alcoholic drinks earlier than driving however allegedly refused to supply specimens for testing. A subpoena was requested for his medical information with a view to decide his blood-alcohol focus on the time of the crash.
No additional data is at the moment accessible.
Commentary on Michael Deleon and Clayton Lindsey Crash on US-83 in Uvalde County
Given the circumstances of this crash and the driving force’s confession of consuming beforehand, it appears affordable that alcohol is taken into account a potential issue. The hospital information will hopefully supply some perception into precisely how large a contribution it made, however relying on what they reveal he could face some severe authorized penalties for his decisions that night. That is not actually one thing for me to comment upon, as in the end it would be between him and the prison justice system.
Some would possibly contemplate these fees kind of the tip of the matter, but when alcohol actually is a significant factor then there could also be additional issues. Texas legislation broadens the scope of accountability for alcohol-related crashes past the drivers themselves to typically embody the companies that offered them their drinks.
Dram store legal guidelines are designed to carry alcohol suppliers accountable for negligently over-serving their prospects. When companies promote or serve alcohol to clearly intoxicated prospects, they might then be chargeable for any accidents these prospects go on to trigger or endure whereas excessively impaired.
Not each DWI accident entails a dram store violation. As an example, if the suspect drank at dwelling first or purchased alcohol whereas sober after which drank it on the highway, it is unlikely {that a} enterprise could possibly be held chargeable for all of the accidents sustained in that devastating crash. Proper now it is too early to inform the place the driving force was consuming and he would not seem to have clarified it for police, however it’s a element that actually deserves additional investigation to know for positive.
So will the authorities discover out the place the drinks got here from? Although it pains me to say this, I doubt it. Police do not make investments many sources into dram store violations, regardless of how essential it’s to establish and cease such reckless and unlawful habits. Victims of drunk driving accidents and the households of these unfairly taken by them are sometimes greatest served by working with unbiased investigators within the pursuit of the proof wanted to carry such a negligent enterprise accountable.
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