Mother, Baby Killed in Alleged Drunk Driving Accident
A mother and her baby were killed in what is being investigated as a drunk driving accident. The crash occurred in Clear Lake, Texas early Wednesday morning.
Details of the Fatal Clear Lake Accident
According to ABC 7, that fatal crash occurred on the southbound lanes of the Gulf Freeway feeder road near El Dorado Boulevard just before 4 am.
Officials say a white Lincoln SUV, driven by a 20-year-old Veronica Rivas, rear-ended purple Toyota, killing the woman and baby inside. They have been identified as Shayla Joseph, 36, and Braylan Jabari Joseph, 3 months.
Joseph’s husband believes his wife was on her way to get breakfast, saying he worked nights and she would get breakfast each day before he got home from work. Joseph was on maternity leave from UTMB.
Rivas and a 17-year-old passenger in her vehicle were taken to the hospital. Rivas has since been booked on two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Texas Auto Accident Statistics
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):
- 3,773 people were killed in Texas traffic accidents in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
- 638 of the deaths reported in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
- Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities.
- An additional 264,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
- Based on reportable data for 2016, TxDOT estimates:
- One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
- One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
- A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.
Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced Corpus Christi 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, Austin, and Houston, 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.
