Our Texas car accident lawyers had written previously about the tragic deaths of 28-year-old Jessica Rodriguez and her young daughter, Kaylee Flores, in a March wreck caused by a drunken driver. 26-year-old Christopher Lamar, with two previous convictions for DWI, slammed into the rear of a vehicle parked by the side of I-10 while the driver changed a flat tire.
The mother and daughter were sitting in that vehicle when Lamar struck it with his Jeep. They died from the injuries they received in the crash. Christopher Lamar has now been indicted on two murder counts for their needless deaths. (Source: WOAI, San Antonio News.)
Lawmakers have made some changes to Texas laws in the last few years in an attempt to curb the persistent problem of drunken driving in Texas and the many accident injuries and fatalities it causes. Under the tougher Texas laws, a person with two or more previous DWI convictions receives a felony charge if caught driving drunk again. If that person with the two previous DWI convictions causes a fatal accident while driving drunk, our Texas car accident lawyers caution that the felony charge can be upgraded to a felony murder charge.
Murder is normally a crime of intent. A person who chooses to drive drunk after having received punishment for the DWI crime on two previous occasions could be assumed to have made the choice to risk causing harm to others. Certainly the previously convicted drunken driver proceeds with wanton and willful disregard for the safety of himself and others.
Modern society has become more and more complex as the population has grown and increasingly urban cultures have brought us all into closer and more frequent proximity than ever before. Crimes that society was once willing to overlook are no longer acceptable risks.
Our Texas car accident lawyers feel that the tougher Texas DWI laws are a necessary step towards ensuring a safer living environment for everyone. Take heed of the potential punishments that await the drunken driver. Choose not to drink and drive. And don’t let family and friends get behind the wheel when they’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Make the responsible choice.