Lubbock, TX — Police think that alcohol might’ve been to blame for the injuries of two women last week following a car accident. They said that Veronica Garza, 28, and Lori Ramirez, 50, were both hospitalized after their car was hit by Mychel Montalvo late Wednesday night, October 21, 2015.
The accident happened along U.S. 87 on the south side of town, police said.
Garza was driving a Mercury south along U.S. 87 that night around 10:45 p.m. while Mychel Montalvo, 23, was headed north in his Pontiac SUV. As they neared 98th Street, it appears that Montalvo lost control and swerved into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with Garza’s Mercury.
The accident sent both Garza and Ramirez to a nearby hospital, but they were not in serious condition. The accident also injured Montalvo and he was hospitalized as well to be treated for a dislocated hip.
Police said that Montalvo was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time, so his blood is being tested and the results are still pending.
Map of the Approximate Area
Commentary:
A lot of people here are wanting to blame this driver for the accident, which is understandable, but I think that there may be more to this story. If this driver was under the influence of alcohol, then is it possible that he had been drinking somewhere like a bar?
If he was, then it’s possible that the bar had actually over-served him when he should have been cut off. Obviously, that’s hard to know until his BAc tests are completed by the DPS, but if, say, his BAC was .16%, then it would be safe to say that the bar had served him far too much to drink.
In Texas, it’s actually unlawful for bars to serve customers alcohol when they are obviously intoxicated or poses a danger to themselves or others. Like I said, there needs to be a little more investigation because if a bar was involved, then it’s not just this driver who would be held liable for the accident, but potentially a bar as well.
— Grossman Law Offices
