U.S. Capital

In League City, Suspected Drunk Driver Kills Six

Oct 17, 2014

Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) October 17, 2014 – High-speed police chases almost always cause serious collateral damage. This Texas case is a prime example.

“This collision took place in League City and killed six. Three of the dead were part of a larger family, and so two young teens were left without a mother, father and brother,” recalled Bobby Lee, an Austin personal injury attorney not involved in the case. 

A suspected drunk driver rammed the family’s Honda Accord head-on while traveling at close to 100 mph. The driver and passenger fleeing police were killed along with a relative of the family in the Accord. The Dodge Durango’s driver, Juan Ahuezoteco, was wanted on a felony DWI warrant.

The chase lasted a mere 90 seconds, but it cost six people their lives. Even though police may have followed procedure to the letter, six people died during a chase officers sparked and pursued. “The clear dangers of high speed pursuits have been hotly debated for years,” added Lee. “It is obvious that when high speeds are involved, someone could be killed. This case is a clear realization of that concern in the worst possible way.”

Police had attempted to stop the Durango earlier in the evening. Ahuezoteco’s car was observed running without headlights and swerving erratically. When police approached the vehicle, Ahuezoteco fled. The ensuing chase involved speeds of up to 100 mph. 

The Durango hit its first car at the intersection of Ohio Avenue and Deats. There were no injuries involved in that crash, and the fleeing suspect continued to head north, running a stop sign and colliding with the Honda Accord, killing all six involved. The Durango then struck a utility pole and finally came to a stop.

Should high-speed chases be banned? Are more people at risk by giving pursuit or by letting the individual go?

To learn more, visit http://www.lgrlawfirm.com

Lee, Gober & Reyna
11940 Jollyville Road #220-S
Austin, Texas 78759
Phone: 512.478.8080

  • Every day, distracted driving kills 11 teens
    It’s that time of year. Children are back in school. Those with teens who drive have a lesson to pass on to their children: do not text and drive. While the lesson may be a valuable one on its own, it helps if the parents reinforcing the message do not do precisely what they are asking their teen not to do. According to the National Automotive Authority (NAA), even a five-second glance at a text message can result in death. According to an NAA spokesperson, it takes four seconds to turn right and six seconds to turn left. If a […]
  • “Talk. Text. Crash.” — Texas Department of Transportation gets deadly serious about driving with cellphones
    Recently, the Permian Basin has been the scene of numerous distracted-driving accidents, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) wants to reduce the numbers. Distracted driving is generally caused by using a cellphone and texting or talking, but Texas accidents have even been caused by drivers brushing their teeth, reading the newspaper, combing hair and applying makeup. TxDOT has launched an information campaign to help drivers stop driving while doing anything else but paying attention to the road. The campaign is marked by the slogan, “Talk. Text. Crash.” It is meant to remind drivers of the very real dangers of […]
  • Holidays bring out the drunk drivers
    Houston was relatively quiet over the Labor Day long weekend, a fact credited to the combined efforts of the sheriff’s department, city police departments and constables’ offices.  The multi-agency coverage for the long weekend ensured that many drunk drivers were taken off the roads, but it did not prevent intoxicated Texans from getting behind the wheel. Over the holiday, Harris County racked up a record, reporting 192 DUI arrests. That number bears repeating – 192 arrests for driving while under the influence. One hundred and ninety-two individuals who made the negligent choice to drink too much and then climb behind […]
  • Texan arrested for texting while driving drunk, doubling danger
    A young Texan man, 23, was recently caught not only texting while driving, but texting while driving drunk.   According to police, his blood alcohol content (BAC) was twice the legal limit. But for a local crackdown on texting while driving, the man may have escaped apprehension. Officers were out on patrol in a designated area along the interstate when one policeman noticed a driver texting while driving unsafely at highway speeds.  Police discovered the young man was holding his cell phone with it on speaker. He insisted that this action counted hands-free phone use. This false belief, held by […]
  • An argument for raising minimum liability insurance for commercial trucks
    As it stands, the minimum liability insurance for commercial trucks/buses is $750,000. While it sounds like a great deal of money, it is not nearly enough to cover medical expenses for someone seriously injured in a crash.  Additionally, the amount has not been adjusted for inflation since 1985. Many crash victims are seriously under-compensated. Nearly 5,000 people die every year in truck crashes. People who are lucky enough to survive a crash with a large truck are usually injured in a catastrophic, life-altering manner. They may require care for the rest of their lives, and $750,000 cannot cover the medical […]