The consequences of driving drunk are widely known in Texas. Accidents caused by intoxicated drivers often result in catastrophic injuries, lifelong suffering and sometimes death. Such accidents may also create rifts in families that cannot be mended. One Texas man is facing the consequences of a drunk driving accident that left two people dead and another with a traumatic brain injury.
Although it was not yet noon, the man’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he swerved into the path of another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle was eight months pregnant, and her injuries included a broken sternum and ribs. She was air lifted to a hospital where her child was safely delivered by C-section. The man’s passengers were not so fortunate.
A 21-year-old man in the front passenger seat died instantly. Two brothers in the back seat, ages 13 and 14, were critically injured. The older boy was removed from life support and died 10 days after the accident, and his younger brother remained in a Texas hospital for months with a severe brain injury. He is likely to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair and will have to relearn basic skills, such as speaking.
The driver of the car was recently sentenced to six life terms for multiple counts of murder, intoxicated manslaughter, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and intoxicated assault. However, the boy who survived the crash is serving a different kind of life sentence. His brain injury has confined him to a wheelchair with only suffering to look forward to. Winning a civil lawsuit against the driver may allow the boy’s family to provide him with the quality care he needs and deserves.
Source: yourhoustonnews.com, “Six life sentences given to man convicted of DWI deaths in Liberty County“, Vanesa Brashier, Sept. 30, 2016
