A North Texas man is in the hospital accused of driving drunk. Police say he caused the crash that killed one man and sent another to the hospital last night.
Friday afternoon, both the surviving victim and the suspected drunk driver were being treated at Parkland Hospital.
Friday afternoon CBS 11 News received video from a Dallas police squad car; just moments after a suspected drunk driver caused a deadly crash near Dallas Love Field Airport Thursday night.
One of the drivers of one of the wrecked cars, seen in the video at right, is still in the hospital recovering. Kenneth Brown was the driver of the third car which was hit by both other vehicles.
His wife, Sarah, helped tell CBS 11 News an amazing story… you see, Kenneth couldn't 'talk' about the story, because he is deaf.
"I was just driving along, leaving the airport, and all of a sudden I opened my eyes and there was a firefighter working on my door, using the Jaws of Life," Sarah interpreted for Kenneth.
The crash had apparently knocked Brown unconscious.
Police say 50-year-old Clay Curnutt, of Morgan, was killed in the crash.
According to officials the entire wreck was caused by 42-year-old Eric Austin of Dallas, a suspected drunk driver. Police say an officer, in an unmarked traffic car, saw Austin driving erratically and tried to get him to stop.
Dashcam video shows Austin slowing to an apparent stop for officers -- then suddenly driving off.
Dallas police say they never gave chase, but nonetheless Austin wrecked out a few blocks later.
"When the officer observed the suspect move into the oncoming lanes of traffic, and attempt to pass the vehicle in front of him, the officer reduced his speed and began driving a normal speed," said Dallas Police Department Asst. Chief Charles Cato.
Curnutt died at the scene. Austin, who was on probation for a Driving While Intoxicated conviction last summer, wound up in an emergency room bay just a few feet away from Kenneth.
"When I thought about it being a driver that was getting away from a police officer, who'd been drinking, I was disappointed that the driver made the choices he made and resulted in another person losing their life and me getting hurt. It's just disappointed," Kenneth signed.
Brown was scheduled to be released for the hospital Friday.
1 comment:
Eric Austin committed suicide on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009.
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