Amarillo, TX — Last weekend, early Sunday morning, there was a serious head-on collision along Amarillo Boulevard that injured two men. Police identified them as Marcos Saenz, 43, and Manuel Irlas, 49, claiming that alcohol and speed were factors as well.
They said that this happened at about 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, March 1, 2015 near McMaster’s Street and Amarillo Boulevard, which is the access road for Business I-40.
Allegedly, Manuel Irlas was driving his pickup truck along Amarillo Boulevard when he lost control and veered into the oncoming lanes, where his truck hit Marcos Saenz’ truck head-on.
The accident left both men with serious injuries, but as of Monday evening, they are no longer in life-threatening condition at the hospital. Police did say, however, that they think alcohol was a factor. So far, Irlas has not been arrested or charged.
Map of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary:
What do we know about this accident? It involved two vehicles, it happened early in the morning, alcohol was suspected to be a factor, and I know for a fact that there are several bars just south of Business 40. So what does that tell us? Well, it obviously doesn’t say anything definitively, but I’m wondering if perhaps the driver who lost control might’ve come from a bar that night?
In Texas, we have very strict laws against drunk driving, which is no surprise because we lead the nation each year with the dubious honor of most alcohol-related auto accidents. However, Texas also has laws for those who sell alcohol as well. Namely, a licensed establishment (like a bar) can’t serve alcohol to someone who’s obviously intoxicated, to do so is unlawful.
When a drunk driver breaks the rules, he incurs criminal penalties and is also civilly liable for any damage he’s caused — e.g., he can be sued for hurting someone else. However, most people don’t realize that the same thing applies to a bar that breaks the rules and over-serves someone. Not only is that bar subject to fines and having their license revoked by the TABC, but they also incur civil liability if their drunk driver hurts anyone else in an accident.
Folks, most people are content to blame drunk drivers for accidents like this one, but that’s often not the whole picture. The fact of the matter is that lots of drunk driving car accidents are caused, in part, by bartenders who put profits over safety and serve people alcohol even when it’s dangerous and irresponsible to do so. With all that in mind, I have to wonder whether this driver in Amarillo had come from a bar nearby, assuming that the news was even correct in reporting that alcohol was a factor.
— Grossman Law Offices
