UPDATE (April 5, 2024): Authorities say that the driver of the pickup involved in the crash is facing a charge for intoxication manslaughter due to the death of Roberto Rios Rodriguez. They allege that driver was under the influence of alcohol and over three and a half times the legal limit when the crash with Rios Rodriguez occurred.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

If investigators got things right, then that raises serious questions about where the driver got his alcohol. Three times the legal limit is in black-out territory, and folks who are that drunk usually were over-served by a bar. Why does this matter? Because if a bar over-serves someone who causes a fatal crash, the bar may be responsible for their role in that death.

What really concerns me, though, is that authorities tend to overlook negligent bars in these deadly wrecks. I've had many wrongful death cases against negligent alcohol providers where authorities simply charged the drunk driver and called it a day. It's only after calling the firm to learn about their options that the victims and families would find out there was someone else who broke the law and could be held accountable. Simply put, people are rightfully unsatisfied with putting blame on one person when there's another party out there who also needs to answer for their actions.

With this crash, there appear to be two different drivers facing charges. It makes me worry authorities will find that to be "good enough" and won't continue their investigations to find any potential alcohol providers also responsible for a man losing his life. Accountability is important, but more than that, an alcohol provider willing to serve someone to over three times the limit is bound to keep breaking the law. Failing to hold such an establishment accountable would only lead to more families getting a call no one should ever get.

UPDATE (March 28, 2024): Reports have recently been released which clarify a couple of the details pertaining to this incident. These reports state that the two vehicles involved in the crash were a small SUV and a pickup truck. The SUV was purportedly occupied by 22-year-old Roberto Carlos Rios Rodriguez. Another driver was apparently being chased by the pickup, and that driver was charged for collision involving death.

San Juan, TX — March 26, 2024, Roberto Carlos Rios Rodriguez was killed and one other person was injured in a car accident at about 6:10 p.m. along F.M. 495.

According to authorities, the accident occurred at the Raul Longoria Road and Farm to Market 495 intersection.

The causal factors that led to the wreck are still unclear. Officials indicate that two separate vehicles were involved in a head-on collision. The driver of one of the vehicles, 22-year-old Roberto Carlos Rios Rodriguez incurred reportedly fatal injuries as a result of the crash and was declared deceased at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle sustained suspected severe injuries and was transported to a local medical facility by emergency medical services in order to receive necessary treatment.

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