Dallas, TX — May 4, 2025, Johnnie Moore, Guadalupe Sandoval and one other person were injured in a suspected drunk driver accident at about 10:45 p.m. at West Twelfth Street and South Zang Boulevard.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2012 Nissan Sentra was headed west on Twelfth Street when it apparently ran a red light at Zang Boulevard and crashed into a 2018 GMC Sierra.

GMC driver Johnnie Moore, 35, suffered minor injuries in the crash, as did passengers Guadelupe Sandoval, 35, and a 40-year-old man whose name has not been made public, according to the report.

The Nissan driver was seriously injured in the crash, the report states. Authorities suspect he was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He was cited for driving without a license.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Dallas County crash.

Commentary

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. A late-night crash, multiple people hurt and early signs pointing to suspected intoxication; those details tend to dominate headlines. But what we don’t often hear about is where the alcohol may have come from, or whether someone else might have contributed by irresponsibly serving it.

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 it’s not just the person behind the wheel who can bear responsibility: bars, restaurants or other establishments that over-serve obviously intoxicated patrons may also play a part. That’s the kind of question dram shop law is built to answer. If the driver was visibly impaired and someone served them anyway, the law allows injured people to seek accountability from that alcohol provider.

Looking at this incident, if alcohol did in fact play a role, and the early suspicion suggests it might have, it raises legitimate questions that go beyond the crash itself. Did the driver come from a bar or restaurant that night? Were there signs of intoxication that a bartender or server ignored? These are not just hypotheticals; they’re real questions that deserve real answers, especially when multiple people are hurt.

The broader issue here is one of shared responsibility. When the public hears about drunk driving crashes, the focus understandably centers on the driver. But from a legal and public safety standpoint, that may only be part of the story. The law in Texas gives injured people the right to ask who else may have played a role, and to demand accountability when that role is proven.

Takeaways:

1. Dram shop law exists to uncover whether an alcohol provider contributed to a drunk driving crash by serving someone who was clearly intoxicated.
2. Injured parties have the right to know where the driver obtained alcohol, and whether that service was lawful and responsible.
3. Many people don’t realize they can take legal action against an alcohol provider, but the law offers that option, and in cases like this, it’s worth investigating.