Texarkana, TX — June 16, 2025, a pedestrian was injured in an alleged drunk driver accident at about 9:50 p.m. on Leopard Drive.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a southbound 1995 Dodge Dakota was turning left onto Urban Drive when it hit a pedestrian and continued driving.

The pedestrian, a 41-year-old man whose name has not been made public yet, was seriously injured in the crash, according to the report.

The Dodge driver was charged with intoxication assault and leaving the scene of an injury accident, the report states.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Bowie County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When I read about incidents like this one, what stands out to me isn’t just what happened, but what’s missing from the conversation, especially when the accused driver is charged with intoxication assault. It’s easy to focus solely on the driver’s actions, but often left unasked is where that person may have been drinking beforehand, and whether someone else had a legal duty to intervene before things went too far.

One of the most important but often overlooked questions in cases like this is, “Where did the driver get their alcohol?” Texas law doesn’t just hold individuals accountable for the harm they cause while intoxicated; it also holds alcohol providers responsible if they overserve someone who is obviously intoxicated and that person later causes serious harm. If the driver in this crash was visibly impaired before getting behind the wheel, and they were served at a bar, restaurant or other licensed business, that business may share legal responsibility for what happened.

Cases like this underscore a larger truth: most people never find out whether overservice played a role unless someone steps in to look. That’s the kind of question dram shop law is built to answer. And while criminal charges may address the driver's actions, they rarely uncover whether a licensed provider poured the drinks that set everything in motion.

Accountability in alcohol-related crashes isn’t just about punishment; it’s about understanding every link in the chain and making sure every responsible party is held to account. The law offers tools that many people don’t know they can use. Exploring where the driver got their alcohol could make a real difference for the injured party and help prevent something similar from happening again.

Key Takeaways:

• Dram shop law in Texas allows injured parties to investigate whether an alcohol provider overserved the driver before the crash.
• It’s not always obvious, but there may be more to this story than people realize, especially if the driver was drinking at a bar or restaurant beforehand.
• A full investigation can reveal important facts that criminal charges alone may never bring to light, including whether a licensed alcohol provider played a role.