Drunk Drivers, Cyclists do not Mix

Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) September 9, 2016 – A young Austin woman was out for a bike ride when a man hit her with his truck, dragging her several blocks. He fled the scene.

Cyclist Elizabeth English was dragged almost a half-mile by a driver behind the wheel of a truck. Witnesses at the scene described the victim screaming as she was dragged along the pavement and the driver did not respond. English was taken to hospital in critical condition.

Thanks to sharp-eyed witnesses who were able to provide police with a description of the truck, the Austin Police Department eventually caught up to Artemio Avila and charged him with failing to stop and render aid to English. In actual fact, an off-duty police officer spotted Avila’s truck.

When inspecting the suspect’s truck, police noted there was blood on the hood and new scrapes on the paint. On arrest, Avila claimed he knew nothing about the hit-and-run accident. Eventually, he did admit he heard a slight bump on the passenger’s side of his truck. “Nonetheless, despite hearing something odd, he did not stop and investigate,” said DWI plaintiff’s attorney, Bobby Lee of Lee, Gober & Reyna, Austin. “He was more concerned about himself.”

In addition be being held on a $100,000 bond, Avila was held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.

“Driving while under the influence is illegal. Clearly Mr. Avila would be aware of that fact and yet he still chose to drive while inebriated,” added Lee. “Over 10,000 people a year are arrested for DWI in the Dallas area and roughly every 20 minutes someone is hurt or killed in a crash involving alcohol. Not all accidents end up being hit-and-runs, but the chances are higher of that happening when the driver is drunk and not in control of his or her vehicle.”

It is vitally important for those injured in an accident with a drunk driver to contact a skilled and experienced DWI plaintiff’s attorney as soon as possible. Find out what options are available and know the law as it relates to the circumstances of the accident.

For further information on drunk driving statistics in Texas, visit: http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/state-stats/Texas.html

To learn more, visit http://www.lgrlawfirm.com Lee, Gober & Reyna 11940 Jollyville Road #220-S Austin, Texas 78759 Phone: 512.478.8080