Harris County, TX — January 1, 2026, Maxine Yang and another person were injured in an alleged drunk driver accident at approximately 2:30 a.m. along I.H. 69.

According to authorities, 29-year-old Maxine Yang and a 28-year-old man were traveling in a northeast bound Honda Civic on I-69 near Montrose Boulevard when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that a southwest bound Chevrolet Impala driven by a man who had allegedly been under the influence of alcohol was traveling in the northeast bound lanes of the interstate. Due to the wrong-way situation, head-on collision consequently occurred between the two vehicles.

Yang reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. The 28-year-old from the Civic suffered minor injuries, as well, according to reports.

Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When I read about overnight incidents like this, what stands out to me isn’t the shock value of the timing, but how often the conversation stops at the arrest. Late-night and early-morning crashes tend to be treated as isolated events, even though impaired driving usually follows a series of choices made hours earlier.

If reports are accurate and alcohol played a role here, one of the most important but often overlooked questions is where that alcohol came from. Texas law recognizes that responsibility may extend beyond the driver if an alcohol provider continued serving someone who was obviously intoxicated. That’s not an assumption—it’s a recognition that public safety depends on decisions made well before anyone enters traffic. That’s the kind of question dram shop law is built to answer.

In many cases, those questions never get fully explored. Law enforcement understandably focuses on what happened on the roadway, while what happened beforehand can remain unclear. For the injured party, that can leave a sense that only part of the story has been told. The law exists to help determine whether overservice contributed to the risk that ultimately played out.

When I step back and look at incidents like this, I’m reminded that accountability isn’t just about the final mistake. It’s also about whether there were missed opportunities to intervene earlier. Understanding that broader picture is often essential to making sense of how these situations unfold.

Three takeaways to keep in mind:

• Texas dram shop law allows alcohol providers to be examined when overservice may have contributed to a crash.
• A complete investigation should consider where the alleged impaired driver was drinking, not just what happened on the road.
• The law provides remedies and tools many people are unaware of when serious injuries raise questions about preventability.