The Texas accident lawyers at Denena & Points mention that over the Labor Day weekend, law enforcement officers have been working to enforce safe driving laws and prevent DWI accidents. Some observers say that the holiday “no refusal” weekends in Texas have had a noticeable effect in cutting down on the number of drunken drivers and fatal DWI accidents on our Texas roads. But despite law enforcement’s best efforts, there always seem to be some irresponsible drinkers determined to take lives in their hands as they drink and drive.
For example, on Sunday evening around 6:30 just north of the main Plaza in downtown New Braunfels, TX, a drunken driver lost control of his Toyota Tundra, sideswiped a Ford F-250 pickup truck, and then slammed head-on at a high rate of speed into Ford Ranger pickup truck. This fatal DWI accident occurred at high speed in the 300 block of North Seguin Street.
Two women, ages 59 and 61, were in the Ford Ranger when the Toyota Tundra crashed into it head-on. The 61-year-old woman has reportedly died from her injuries, while the other woman remains hospitalized. A 25-year-old passenger in the Toyota Tundra was airlifted to the hospital for injuries. The driver of the sideswiped pickup truck received minor injuries in the DWI crash. (Source: kgnb.am, 9/3/12)
The 28-year-old driver of the Toyota Tundra, a man from Marion, TX, is held in the Comal County jail on three counts of Intoxication Assault and 1 charge of Intoxication Manslaughter. Our Texas accident lawyers note that Intoxication Manslaughter is a 2nd degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in state prison. Each of the counts of Intoxication Assault is a 3rd degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in a Texas prison.
In 2011, Texas strengthened its laws against DWI crimes. As one aspect of the stronger punishments of drunken drivers, offenders with multiple DWI convictions that have taken a life in a fatal DWI accident can be prosecuted under Texas’s felony murder statute. You can read more about this law in our Texas accident lawyers’ in-depth article on the subject; click here.
Texas’s first statewide no refusal holiday weekend occurred on the July 4th weekend in 2011. It was such a success that some counties have made all weekends no refusal weekends. And our Texas accident lawyers are pleased to report that the no refusal safety policy continues to be observed statewide on major holiday weekends, when DWI accidents occur most frequently.
The Texas no refusal policy now serves as a model for other states hoping to cut down on the number of drunken drivers and fatal DWI accidents on their roads. The policy makes it easier for law enforcement officers to obtain blood alcohol testing evidence when they suspect a driver of DWI. The combination of Texas no refusal weekends and stiffer DWI penalties upon conviction seem to have had some success in reducing the number of DWI crashes in our state. But as the fatal New Braunfels DWI crash this holiday weekend reveals, much remains to be done.