According to Houston Police, one drunken Texas man who chose to get behind the wheel after drinking too much last Sunday is responsible for at least three separate accidents over three hours, resulting in the deaths of two people, including a 6-year-old boy and multiple injuries to others, including a toddler.
According to a police timeline, the alleged drunk driver, 34-year-old Blaine Boudreaux, caused the first crash at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. In that wreck, two people were injured and sent to a local hospital, including a toddler. However, he was cited and released, and he apparently got right back behind the wheel of his Dodge Ram pickup truck, with which he allegedly hit and killed a 61-year-old homeless man named Leonard Batiste near the University of Houston. They didn’t find Batiste’s body until Monday afternoon at about 3 p.m. at 4400 Texas Spur 5, along with the Ram’s bumper and license plate.
However, Boudreaux wasn’t finished yet apparently. According to police, he left that scene and caused yet another accident, at about 6:10 p.m. According to witnesses, Boudreaux was stopped at a red light and had apparently passed out behind the wheel at an intersection at Lockwood and the East Freeway feeder road. When another driver honked to wake him, he reacted by speeding through the red light and crashing into a Honda Civic, killing a 6-year-old boy and leaving the boy’s mother with broken bones and a punctured lung.
When police arrived, they finally took Boudreaux into custody, where he currently faces charges of intoxication manslaughter, failure to stop and render aid involving death and intoxicated assault.
Drunk driving is a major problem throughout Texas. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TX-DOT), in 2013 there were 25,158 accidents involving DUI statewide, resulting in 8,702 serious injuries and 1,022 deaths. Anyone who drinks too much and chooses to operate a motor vehicle has made a bad choice that puts everyone on the road at risk. Other people may have been negligent in that decision-making as well, perhaps a bartender who decided to serve too much or someone who could have kept him from getting behind the wheel. In this case, the officials who cited and released him after the first accident will have to be looked at. A thorough investigation will have to be conducted, considering all of that.
The Texas Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer at Hill Law Firm is very knowledgeable and experienced at representing victims of drunk drivers. If you or a loved one have been injured or killed by a drunk driver, please contact Hill Law Firm today for a free consultation and protect your rights.