Albuquerque, NM — A driver was injured in an accident that police believe may have been caused by alcohol use. The accident happened in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday, December 10, 2014.
Police say that two vehicles crashed head-on late Wednesday night. The force of the crash immediately set one of the vehicles on fire. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene on foot. Police caught up with the man and placed him under arrest a short time later.
The other driver suffered minor injuries and emergency responders treated him at the scene. The names of both men have not been released.
Although they haven’t elaborated on exactly how alcohol might factor into the accident, they have launched a drunk-driving investigation into the matter.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
How this accident is handled going forward could change based on whether or not the at-fault driver had been drinking at a bar before the accident occurred. New Mexico does have dram shops laws which forbid establishments that serve alcohol from over-serving anyone who’s already visibly intoxicated. It’s important to remember that holding a bar partially liable for something like that wouldn’t in any way allow the driver to shirk his responsibility in the matter. On the contrary, they would both be held responsible, as they both contributed to the accident happening. Hopefully, the police investigation will be able to shed a little more light on this in the coming days.
— Grossman Law Offices