Reno, NV — An accident that took place last Saturday killed two and left one in the hospital in critical condition. The accident occurred on I-580, near Plumb Lane, around 3:30 in the morning.
The Nevada Highway Patrol has identified Kenneth C. Lee and Hans-Hartmut Kaesgen, who were both killed in the accident. According to investigators, Lee was traveling in the wrong direction along I-580 when he collided with Kaesgen, who was traveling in the opposite direction.
Nancy C. Kaesgen, Hans-Hartmut’s wife, survived the accident. She was taken to Renown Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Authorities haven’t released any information on her current condition.
The Nevada Highway Patrol believes that alcohol was a factor in the accident. No information yet on which of the two deceased was drinking.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
A lot of people don’t realize this, but Nevada is one of the states that doesn’t have any real liability laws that govern the service and sale of alcohol. Things are a little different in Texas — where I practice — in that, if someone is hurt or killed in an alcohol-related accident, the establishment that served them the alcohol can be held liable, if it can be proved that they continued serving drinks when it was clear the customer was already intoxicated. This isn’t the case in Nevada. Which is a shame, as these laws have made a real difference in changing the way we approach alcohol related injuries. Unfortunately, until we have laws like this in every state, which hold not only drunk drivers responsible but the people who are putting the alcohol in their hands in the first place, we’re going to see accidents like this over and over again.