Travis County, TX — January 14, 2026, a bicyclist was injured due to an alleged drunk driver accident at approximately 1:30 p.m. along the I-35 service road.

According to authorities, a 37-year-old man was traveling on a bicycle in the vicinity of the I-35 service road and Manor Road intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that a Polaris side-by-side that had been traveling eastbound entered the intersection against a red light. A collision consequently occurred between the Polaris and the bicycle.

The bicyclist reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. The person who had been behind the wheel of the Polaris was allegedly under the influence at the time of the wreck.

Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

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. We hear that someone operating a Polaris side-by-side is suspected of being under the influence when they ran a red light and seriously injured a bicyclist. That raises all kinds of serious concerns—but the focus often stops at the driver. What’s far less discussed, yet no less important, is whether anyone else played a role in putting an allegedly impaired person behind the wheel.

One of the most important but often overlooked questions in cases like this is, “Where did the driver get their alcohol?” Texas law recognizes that in some situations, the responsibility doesn’t end with the person who caused the crash. If an alcohol provider—like a bar, restaurant, or other licensed establishment—served someone who was clearly intoxicated, and that person went on to injure someone, the provider can be held legally accountable under what’s called the Texas Dram Shop Act. That’s not about shifting blame; it’s about recognizing the full chain of responsibility and preventing future harm.

The reality is that most people don’t think about this angle unless someone points it out. But if alcohol really did play a role in this incident, it’s worth asking whether the driver was overserved before getting behind the wheel of a street-legal vehicle. Did they come from a bar that kept serving even after it was obvious they’d had enough? Did anyone try to intervene before this happened? These aren’t abstract questions—they go directly to whether this kind of harm was preventable.

It’s not always obvious, but there may be more to this story than people realize. Crashes like this don’t just raise questions about the driver—they often reveal gaps in how alcohol is served and monitored. And Texas law gives injured people and their families tools to explore those questions fully.

Here are three things worth keeping in mind:

1. Dram shop laws exist to hold alcohol providers accountable when they contribute to dangerous situations.
2. A full investigation should explore not only the driver’s actions but also whether a bar or restaurant may have overserved them.
3. Many people don’t realize that legal remedies may be available through dram shop claims—even when it seems like the driver acted alone.