Fort Worth, Texas - Police Officer Setting Out Cones Seriously Injured by Suspected Drunk Driver Oscar Jesus Barragan

Fort Worth Police Officer Seriously Injured During Traffic Stop

A Fort Worth police officer was seriously injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed into her while she was assisting another officer with a DWI traffic stop involving a different driver.

The injured officer and her vehicle were struck on Highway 287 near the Harmon Road exit at around 2:30 a.m. on Friday, November 8. The female officer was setting out traffic cones and flares when the suspected drunk driver struck her and sideswiped her police vehicle.

Upon impact, the suspect's vehicle veered off the highway and came to a stop in a median. The driver of that vehicle, 32-year-old Oscar Barragan, left the car and attempted to flee the scene.

Police used an Air One helicopter to search for Barragan and found him walking on the highway's service road. Officers chased him briefly before apprehending him and arresting him for intoxication assault. He reportedly told police that he had been drinking at a local establishment before the crash.

The injured officer, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized at John Peter Smith Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Legal Options For People Hit by Drunk Drivers in Texas

Attorney Marc Lenahan represents people who have been injured by drunk drivers, helping them secure the maximum financial compensation they are entitled to. Here are some thoughts from Marc on the options for financial compensation available to people injured in Texas drunk driving crashes:

Drunk driving crashes often have devastating consequences and are one of the leading causes of death and serious injuries in the United States. When a drunk driver causes a crash and other people are injured, those people may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the driver. Additionally, there are some situations where these injured individuals may have the right to file a dram shop lawsuit against an alcohol vendor who served the driver before the crash.

Most states, including Texas, have dram shop laws - but they vary from state to state. According to Texas dram shop laws, alcohol vendors can be held liable for injuries caused by their customers if alcohol was provided to a minor under age 18 or to a customer who was "obviously intoxicated" and posing a "clear danger" to self and others.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by a drunk driver, you can learn more about your legal rights in a free consultation with one of our experienced drunk driving injury victims lawyers.

Source:

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/11/08/fwpd-officer-dwi-stop-highway-287-hit-suspected-drunk-driver/