Although drunk driving accidents take place every day in Texas, it isn’t every day that someone allegedly under the influence of alcohol slams into the back of a police blood alcohol testing (BAT) van. According to local news sources, that is exactly what happened to 25-year-old Calli Dretke when she was involved in a late-night car accident just after two in the morning on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reported that the BAT van along with two police cruisers were parked along the shoulder of Research Forest Road in The Woodlands and trying to subdue another alleged drunk driver when Dreke left her lane of travel and rear-ended the blood alcohol testing van. She also clipped both police cruisers, which were stopped with their lights flashing. The Houston area car accident broke the leg of one peace officer, injured another officer, and caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the vehicles at the scene of the crash.
Derek, who is the director of marketing and community relations at Huntsville Memorial Hospital and married to a Houston firefighter, was charged with second-degree felony intoxication assault of a police officer. After she spent one night in jail, she was released on $50,000 bond. However, her bond was revoked weeks later when she was caught diluting a urine sample and she was rebooked at the Montgomery County jail. She has no previous record of drunk driving or any other criminal charge.
The Montgomery County accident lawyers at Denena & Points wish both peace officers a full recovery from their car accident injuries – and hope that Dreke sees justice and learns an important lesson following the incident. Many drunk drivers learn about the serious consequences of drunk driving only after they are involved in a Texas car accident – consequences like serious injury, felony charges, property damage, jail time, license restrictions, accident costs, and a damaged reputation. Perhaps the added irony of crashing into a DWI truck and the scene of another drunk driving arrest will make learning the hard lesson of drinking and driving even easier, both for Dreke and for anyone who reads her story.
If you have been injured in a Texas drunk driving accident that was not your fault, you may wish to speak with our Houston personal injury and accident attorneys.
If you wish to learn more about the dangers of drinking and driving in Texas – both for yourself and for others – read our article regarding alcohol impairment and reaction times. Educating yourself about the dangers of getting behind the wheel drunk can prevent accidents, save lives, and make certain that you aren’t the next person to rear-end a Texas DWI truck.