Denton police arrested a 24-year-old man after a late-night collision on Dallas Drive that sent two people to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. The account is based on a Sunday police report described by the Denton Record-Chronicle: Denton Record-Chronicle.
What police reported at the scene
Officers were sent to the 1400 block of Dallas Drive at about 11:12 p.m. Saturday. The police report described one vehicle overturned on its hood in a motel parking lot, about 100 feet from the roadway, while a second vehicle had front-end damage in the median. Two people from the overturned vehicle were taken for medical treatment, according to the newspaper's account of the report.
Accounts of the collision
The police report described differing accounts of how the collision occurred. The man initially told officers he had dropped off a friend after a concert. He later said he had been involved in another collision at Dallas Drive and Teasley Lane and denied involvement in the crash where his damaged vehicle was found. He also said another person had driven him home and left before officers arrived. These statements are allegations recorded by police, not an established finding of guilt.
What is known about crash data and safety plans
The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a statewide automated database of reportable motor vehicle crashes submitted to the agency. The available TxDOT information does not identify Dallas Drive as a crash-prone corridor or establish that safety improvements have been planned there.
Evidence cited in the arrest
The report said officers observed red, watery eyes, an odor of alcohol and unsteady balance. The man reportedly said he had consumed three beers at the concert. After he agreed to field sobriety testing, officers said the results showed enough indicators of intoxication to make an arrest. Police also reported finding a mostly empty Jim Beam bottle on the passenger-side floorboard. At the jail, the man declined to consent to a blood draw. Officers said they believed he had been the only occupant and driver and noted that he had the vehicle keys in his pocket, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Possible legal consequences
The eventual charge level may depend on the victims' injuries and the evidence available to prosecutors. Texas Penal Code § 49.07 defines intoxication assault as causing serious bodily injury to another person while operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a third-degree felony. The available report does not establish that the injuries meet that legal threshold. A reported refusal to consent to a blood draw also does not, by itself, establish intoxication or determine the outcome of the case.
