Four sheets to the wind, a man kills four members of his family when he loses control of his vehicle while speeding.
San Antonio recently witnessed one of the worst accidents it had seen in years. Booze was the precipitating factor, and the man at the wheel of the car was driving at a reckless speed. It was 12:30 am, and Larry Demers was driving his Honda Civic along the road, intent on being someplace in a hurry. Not being completely with it, thanks to being drunk, he lost control of the car, skidded sideways into a construction zone and slammed into a bulldozer.
The fatal crash happened at a time that is traditionally regarded by Texans to be the most dangerous time to be on the roads: between May and August. Statistics have shown that approximately 30 percent of fatal DWI crashes happen during this period. In fact, in just 2011 alone, there were 321 DWI fatalities, killing 362 people in the state.
When the police arrived, three were dead at the scene, the man’s wife and two of his youngest children. Two of the other kids made it to the hospital alive, but the 5-year-old later died. One remains on life support. The wife was 31-years-old, and the boys were ages 2, 3, 5 and 12. The next step would have been to try and identify all those involved in the wreck. Demers refused to cooperate with the police. Can you imagine a man not wanting to tell police the names of the people he just killed?
As it turned out, Demers had at least three other names and was arrested on a probation violation charge from 2011, relating to a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. His lengthy record includes drug possession charges, unauthorized use of a vehicle and resisting arrest. Even without the probation violation charge, he would have been arrested for this horrendous accident. In fact, the man was initially booked by proxy on three counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. Since his 5-year-old son died later in the hospital, his charges would be upgraded to four counts of intoxication manslaughter.
The woman’s family will no doubt want to discuss this accident with a personal injury lawyer with experience in handling DWI cases. The crass and wanton negligence involved in this case is horrific, and it is likely the man will spend a long time in prison. However, that would not stop a civil lawsuit from being filed on behalf of the dead woman and her children.
If you have been in a similar situation, reach out to an Austin personal injury lawyer. If you want justice and compensation for your injuries, an Austin personal injury lawyer is able to do that for you. Each case is different. Each case is assessed on its merits. Each case is personal and not a number.
Bobby Lee is an Austin personal injury lawyer for Lee, Gober and Reyna. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from Lee, Gober and Reyna. Visit RWLeelaw.com.
