Photo Credit: 222.kiiitv.com
Corpus Christi, TX — There was an accident reported early this morning (Thursday, February 26, 2015) that involved a suspected drunk driver crashing into a 23-year old man on a skateboard. Police didn’t identify the man on the skateboard who was injured, but said that 22-year old Ryan Sienkiewicz was arrested for hitting him with his pickup truck, pictured to the left.
The accident happened early Thursday morning at Holly Road and Flynn Parkway. According to the police reports, Sienkiewicz was driving his pickup truck along Holly Road when he came upon a 23-year old man riding his skateboard in the roadway.
Allegedly, Sienkiewicz told police that he tried to swerve and avoid hitting the skateboarder, but crashed into him anyway. The 23-year old man on the skateboard was rushed to a hospital and was in serious condition at the last update with critical head injuries. Police said that Sienkiewicz was suspected of being under the influence and was taken to a hospital, where they obtained a blood sample for testing purposes.
More investigation is ongoing, but as of Thursday afternoon, Mr. Sienkiewicz had been charged by police.
Map of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary:
What kind of rights do people have when they’re injured by a drunk driver? Well, since alcohol was suspected of being a factor in this accident and these are common questions we get, I’ll provide some information here.
In general, selling alcohol in Texas isn’t a right, it’s a privilege. That means that, just like any other specialized license, there are restrictions. Bars and other places licensed by the TABC to sell alcohol are prohibited from selling to minors and from selling/serving anyone who appears to be obviously intoxicated. Now, how does this answer the question of what kind of rights you have in a drunk driving accident? Well, the flipside to bars breaking the rules and over-serving their customers is that they not only are susceptible to fines and citations, but they incur civil liability for any injuries that arise from their customers getting into accidents.
Think of it this way, if a father gives his 15-year old a bottle of liquor and his car keys, who do you think is responsible for the accident that teen gets into? That’s right, both of them. The teen is responsible for his illegal activities while the father is responsible for providing his son with the alcohol and car keys. The same applies to a bar that gives alcohol to someone who’s already intoxicated.
So, in short, someone injured by a drunk driver would have a claim against not only that person, but if a bar had served them past the point of obvious intoxication, then they’d have a claim against the bar, too.
— Grossman Law Offices
