3 Killed, Including a 2-Year-Old, in Edinburg Drunk Driving Crash

Members of three generations of a local family were killed in a drunk driving accident in Edinburg on Monday, July 24. Get the details of the crash and more information about drunk driving crashes from your McAllen car accident attorneys.

The Edinburg Drunk Driving Car Accident

According to authorities, law enforcement responded to a major collision in the 2200 block of South Jackson Road at 9:14 p.m. on Monday. Police found two vehicles on the scene that appeared to have collided head-on.

Just before the crash, a 50-year-old woman was driving a gray minivan with three passengers traveling south on Jackson Road. At the same time, an intoxicated 46-year-old man was driving a black pickup north on Jackson Road. In the 2200 block, the driver of the black pickup veered into the southbound lane, colliding with the minivan head-on.

The driver of the minivan was pronounced dead at the scene, and all passengers were transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Two passengers, the 68-year-old mother of the driver and the driver’s 2-year-old granddaughter, both succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The driver’s 10-year-old niece was still in critical condition as of July 25. 

The intoxicated driver of the pickup was also transported to a hospital in critical condition following the crash. The pickup driver also remained in critical condition as of Tuesday evening.

“It all comes down to what we believe, that we suspect, that an impaired driver made a decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive a 4,000-pound bullet into oncoming traffic that caused injuries to this family,” Edinburg Police Chief Jaime Ayala said on Tuesday. “Grave, fatal injuries to this family.”

According to a press release from authorities, the intoxicated driver will be facing charges for three counts of intoxication manslaughter if he recovers from his injuries.

“The Edinburg Police Department is providing support and assistance to the affected families during this difficult time,” the release stated. “Investigators are continuing to process the scene to gather all relevant evidence and piece together the events leading up to the collision.”

Authorities added that good Samaritans stepped up to help officers responding to what they called a “very violent crash.” Chief Ayala noted the difficulties of responding to such a devastating crash and said that mental health resources are being provided to responding officers.

Drunk Driving Accidents in Texas

According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were a total of approximately 25,000 drunk driving accidents in Texas in 2022. Of those accidents, 4% resulted in at least one fatality. For comparison, less than 1% of all car accidents result in a fatality. This means that drunk driving accidents are more than 4 times as likely to lead to a fatality compared to other crashes.

These figures go to show just how important it is to never drive under the influence. Driving drunk puts not only you but also everyone else sharing the road with you in serious danger.

If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a drunk driving crash in Texas, a McAllen car accident lawyer can help you defend your rights to financial relief.

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Source: KRGV5, ValleyCentral4, myRGV