A man faces a second-degree felony charge after his choice to drink and drive caused the death of a passenger. 

About the Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

According to KXAN, Juan Manuel Aboytes-Garcia, 27, was driving while intoxicated when he crashed his white 2015 Chevrolet Silverado into a tree last Saturday night, killing a passenger. The crash happened on Farm to Market Road 969 in east Austin.

Officers say that Aboytes-Garcia admitted to drinking beer at a park before the crash. He told police he had been at the park since 11:30 a.m.

Officers performed a breath test an hour-and-a-half after the crash. Results showed that Aboytes-Garcia had a .146 blood alcohol concentration, well over the legal limit of .08.

Aboytes-Garcia faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter.

Motor Vehicle Substance Abuse Statistics

The information below was taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• In 2016, 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for 28% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
• Of the 1,233 traffic deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2016, 214 (17%) involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
• In 2016, more than 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s one percent of the 111 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
• Drugs other than alcohol (legal and illegal) are involved in about 16% of motor vehicle crashes.
• Marijuana use is increasing and 13% of nighttime, weekend drivers have marijuana in their system.
• Marijuana users were about 25% more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers with no evidence of marijuana use, however other factors–such as age and gender–may account for the increased crash risk among marijuana users.

Contact an Experienced Texas Auto Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Austin, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.