Local DA declares war on drunken and reckless driving
The 33rd/424th District Attorney’s Office said it will “aggressively” pursue and prosecute intoxicated and reckless driving charges within its jurisdiction from here on out.
While no specific cases were mentioned, the announcement comes on the heels of eight recent fatalities on Burnet and Llano county roads. Five women were killed on U.S. 281 in Burnet County on July 25; while one person died July 27 and two people were killed Aug. 3 on Texas 71 in Llano County.
“Our community has suffered too many heartbreaking losses in recent weeks because of people driving on our roads with blatant disregard for the safety of others,” said District Attorney Perry Thomas in a Wednesday, Aug. 13, media release. “My office is currently pursuing these cases with the full force of the law, and we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold the offenders accountable.”
Thomas’ office covers Burnet, Llano, Blanco, and San Saba counties. The media release indicates that “aggressively” pursuing prosecution means seeking maximum penalties for driving while intoxicated. This could mean a felony for those with one previous conviction for driving under the influence or driving intoxicated with a child passenger.
In an interview with DailyTrib.com, Thomas explained further, saying he and his assistant district attorneys would take cases to trial if necessary to ensure strong consequences for intoxicated and reckless driving.
“I’m mad to tell you the truth. I’m mad,” Thomas said. “You better think twice before you drink and drive.”
He went deeper in the DA office’s media release, making it clear where he stands on the subject.
“Intoxicated and reckless driving has become a major public safety problem in our region, and it cannot be tolerated,” Thomas wrote. “My office will treat every intoxicated driving offense with the seriousness it deserves, before it leads to another life lost. We’re not just responding to tragedy—we’re working to prevent it by holding the people who endanger others on our roads accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Can we also keep people off of their phones while driving? That is a huge problem.
Thank you, DA Thomas, for your concern to keep our roadways safe and prosecuting to the fullest those addicted to alcohol who step behind the wheel and use their vehicles as weapons against innocent bystanders.