Amarillo, TX — The local police in Amarillo said that a young man was charged with intoxication assault after a car accident this past Sunday morning that injured his passenger. The injured man was identified as Richard Ochoa, 25, and the driver who was arrested was identified as Adam Ceballos, 25.
Police said that Ceballos was driving his Cadillac along 6th Avenue this past Sunday morning (August 9, 2015) with Ochoa as his passenger when he lost control and crashed into a light pole.
This was near the intersection with Harrison Street.
The accident left Ceballos with slight injuries, but Ochoa was more seriously hurt and had to be taken to a hospital. The police at first said he was critically injured, but later said he was doing better.
Ceballos, however, was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and was subsequently arrested for intoxication assault. Right now, more charges may be pending.
The time of the accident was 7:45 a.m. in the morning.
Map of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary:
Where had this driver been in the hours leading up to the accident? Had he left a bar early that morning and been heavily intoxicated? The reason I bring this up is because, in Texas especially, bars are notorious for over-serving their customers and letting them leave while intoxicated. The problem is that it creates danger for them and everyone else on the road.
While the law certainly speaks out against drunk driving, most people don’t realize that half the issue is where the alcohol is served and how it’s served. Can an intoxicated person make a good decision about when to stop drinking? Probably not, which is why Texas law requires bars to not serve customers who are “obviously physically intoxicated,” to quote Texas Dram Shop Act of 1987.
I don’t know if this driver had been at a bar or if he was even that heavily intoxicated, but I wanted to point out an area of the law that applies here, because most folks don’t know about it. I honestly think we can put a dent in alcohol-related accidents if we’re willing to go the extra mile, investigate, and hold bars responsible when the let drunk drivers onto the streets.
— Grossman Law Offices
