Update [April 22, 2014]: One of the injured people in the parking lot, 22-year old Christopher Brigman, has passed away since this accident. An updated version of this accident can be found here.
Plano, TX — Four people were injured on Thursday when Benjamin Kevin Newman allegedly drove into the parking lot of the Hang Out Patio Bar and into a group of people.
Two of those people suffered only minor injuries and were treated by emergency workers who had arrived on the scene. The other two were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Newman fled the scene after the accident but was later found by authorities. He’s been brought up on drunk driving charges.
Local news tried getting in touch with employees at the bar, but were told by the bar’s manager that they’re not commenting.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
They vary from state to state, but in Texas we have what they call dram shop laws, which were put in place to regulate the safe sale of alcohol. These laws state that an establishment can be held liable if they sell alcohol to someone they already know to be intoxicated. The thinking behind these laws is that, if a bar feeds beer after beer to someone who later goes out and hits a pedestrian, then the bar played a role in that accident. I bring this up because — while the news reports don’t say one way or the other — I wonder if the suspect was drinking at the Hang Out before the accident. I say that because I find it odd that the manager of the bar has told news outlets that his employees aren’t commenting on the matter. Of course, authorities are still investigating the accident, and we don’t want to cast any premature blame. However, I do think it’s something worth looking at.
— Grossman Law Offices