Rice, MN — A woman was hospitalized after an alleged drunk-driving crash in Rice, Minnesota, on Friday, July 24, 2015. The accident took place on Highway 10, and involved a single motorcycle.
Police identified 43-year-old Thomas Knott as the rider of a motorcycle that crashed on the side of the road. After the accident, Knott got back on the bike, leaving his passenger, 42-year-old Dawn Larson, behind. Knott and Larson live together and half an 8-year-old daughter.
Police caught up to Knott about seven miles north of Rice, in Royalton. Knott had no shoes or eye protection, and was also injured from the crash. Police determined he was drunk and took him into custody.
Knott’s shoes were found at the scene of the accident. He and Larson were also wearing matching wristbbands from a bar they had been at earlier that night.
The accident is still being investigated.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Lawmakers in Minnesota have made it illegal for bars and liquor stores and similar establishments to sell alcohol to anyone who’s obviously intoxicated. The problem was that bars were over-serving customers, who were then going out and getting into accidents, while the bars were moving on with life as if nothing ever happened. The point of these laws is to avoid accidents, obviously, but also to let bars know that their responsibility to their customers extends beyond their front door. If a bar chooses to ignore these laws and over-serve someone who should have been cut off — it happens — then the bar can be held liable for any ensuing accident.
From what’s been reported here, the two people involved were at a bar before the accident. And at least one of them seemed like he was pretty out of it. How many drinks did he have that night? Should he have been cut off at some point? Would this accident have happened if he was? I’m not saying that the bar is definitely, 100% at fault, but I think there’s reason for things to be investigated a little further.
— Grossman Law Offices
