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A woman was arrested on multiple drunk driving offenses and now faces increased charges following a crash that left a man dead and two of his family members seriously injured on Sunday, December 22.
According to the authorities, Natalie Saldana was driving along I-10 near Boerne Stage Road when her white sedan crashed into a Bexar County Deputy's vehicle. The deputy was assisting a family who was stranded on I-10 at the time of the crash.
While the deputy avoided injury, all three family members were injured in the collision. A man and woman were trapped underneath a vehicle and their 18-year-old daughter was also struck while siting in the deputy's vehicle.
The man was airlifted to University Hospital in critical condition and passed away from his injuries a few days later. The woman and daughter were brought to University Hospital by ambulance and were listed in serious condition.
Saldana was arrested on Thursday. She has been charged with three drunk driving charges, including an intoxication assault charge which has been upgraded to intoxication manslaughter following the man's death.
A police report states that Saldana told officers that she was coming from a graduation party and had consumed four vodka drinks before the crash.
Attorney contributor Anjali Nigam represents people who were a victim of drunk driving accident, helping them recover the full financial compensation they are entitled to. We've asked Anjali to add some of his thoughts on the legal rights of people injured by drunk drivers in Texas:
In the aftermath of a drunk driving crash, it's important that those injured and the families of those killed in the crash are aware of their legal rights. The consequences of these crashes can be long-lasting, including painful recoveries from injuries, expensive medical bills, lost wages, and the grief of losing a loved one.
Families affected by drunk driving crashes may have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who caused the crash. Additionally, Texas and many other states allow some victims and families to file dram shop lawsuits against alcohol vendors who serve drunk drivers, depending on the circumstances leading up to the crash.
According to Texas dram shop laws, alcohol vendors can be held liable for injuries or deaths caused by customers if the vendor provided alcohol to someone who was either under age 18 or "obviously intoxicated" at the time, and this intoxication was a cause of the injuries suffered.
If you or someone you care about has been injured by a drunk driver, you can learn more about your legal rights by speaking with one of our experienced dram shop lawyers in a free consultation.
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