EL PASO, TX — A three-vehicle accident took the life of one woman and sent one man to the hospital in El Paso, Texas on Sunday, April 20th, 2014, according to a news report from KFOX-TV.
Authorities from the El Paso Police Department have said that 54-year-old Armand Carbajal was hurt when the pickup truck he was driving was hit by a vehicle that had been forced into his path by a previous impact while driving on Zaragoza Road around 2:30 Sunday morning.
Scene of the Accident
Armand Carbajal was taken by EMS to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries after the accident. The driver of the other vehicle was identified in the report as 22-year-old Crystal Saldana, who was killed in the crash.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Saldana’s was identified in the news as Brian Gamero, who currently faces drunk driving related charges stemming from the accident.
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
Commentary:
Any time a crash is thought to be the cause of alcohol, the main question I ask is ‘where was the alleged drunk driver drinking before the accident?’ Many people do not know that a lot can change depending on the answer. People will often ask me ‘what is the difference between drinking at home and drinking at a bar?’ and the answer has always been ‘a whole lot’. When an individual takes it upon themselves to drink at home, they themselves bear the entire burden of drinking responsibly. When that very same individual decides that they will drink at a bar, they have taken it upon themselves to include another person in the loop that has the means to cut them off or refuse service at any time. As a matter of fact, the server or bartender has an OBLIGATION to cut that person off to protect themselves and the public. If a bartender or server has failed in their duty, and has over-served a person who causes an accident, that establishment needs to be punished equally alongside the driver. Many people disagree with this and see it as unfair, but to them I ask “Where is the fairness or safety in a bar being allowed to serve somebody fifteen shots in an hour before letting them leave?”
–Grossman Law Offices
