Esequiel Hernandez Jr., 2 Injured in Alleged Drunk Driver Accident in Brownsville, TX
Brownsville, TX — November 24, 2024, Esequiel Hernandez Jr. and two others were injured after an alleged drunk driver accident around 1:49 a.m. on Old U.S. 77.
Authorities said in preliminary statements that the crash happened on northbound Old U.S. 77 at the intersection of Morrison Road.
Investigators said that Esequiel Angel Hernandez Jr. and a 22-year-old woman were in a Honda Accord going northbound. Due to events not clear, a Ford F-150 crashed with Hernandez. As a result, Hernandez and the passenger in the Honda had serious injuries. The Ford driver's injuries were called minor.
In their statements, authorities allege that the Ford driver was under the influence of alcohol. They recommended a charge for intoxication assault. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary
Any mention of alcohol is serious, so the fact authorities recommended charges here definitely suggests there is some strong evidence of wrongdoing. However, that may not be all the evidence. The reason I say that is because there is often an accomplice to drunk driving accidents who gets off scot-free when authorities are too quick to consider an investigation closed. Simply put, if there was a drunk driver responsible for this accident, there may also have been a negligent alcohol provider who also contributed to the accident.
In Texas, alcohol providers who serve someone that's obviously intoxicated is doing so unlawfully. As such, they expose themselves to potential criminal investigations, fines, suspended licenses, and even liability for the resulting injuries. Too often, though, authorities put all of their focus on the accident scene, and the negligent bars and other establishments who contributed to the crash get to continue business as usual.
That's why I never take thorough accident investigations for granted when authorities are left to their own devices. The fact of the matter is many departments aren't motivated to continue their investigations once someone has been charged. It could be, though, that authorities here made sure to find out if the alleged drunk driver here was unlawfully over-served. If they haven't, though, it wouldn't be the first time getting all the facts required more thorough independent investigations.
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