Paul Joseph Garcia, a supposedly intoxicated Texas native, was taken into custody after he hit and killed a person, Lee Martin Cagle, with his vehicle and drove on with the corpse still in the automobile until he finally parked at a beer garden.
The incident occurred in late February as 24-year-old Garcia was driving his Ford Focus at very high speed without any lights on, and he struck a pedestrian with a shopping cart.
People, who were present at the scene, later stated that the man did not stop upon the hit, but kept on driving, even though the body of the victim went through the front window.
Besides, according to the police report, Garcia stopped the car when he reached the South Austin Beer Garden after driving for about half a mile with the mangled remains of the deceased still in the car, and the road was left covered with debris and body parts.
Apparently, upon arrival at his destination, the driver went into the establishment barefoot, but he was refused any alcohol due to his suspicious look.
According to one of the owners of the restaurant, David Pearce, Garcia had tears on his face, and he looked distraught and panicked.
When the driver was arrested later; it was determined that he was not sober, and the lack of braking marks on the road indicated that he did not even try to stop after the crash.
For the time being, Garcia is in custody on a $110,000 bond, and he will face charges for driving while intoxicated, manslaughter, and causing an accident involving injury.
A second person has been arrested for the brutal killing of the pedestrian. Rafael Medina, 31, the Austin bartender, who served Garcia alcoholic beverages the night of the accident, has been charged in connection to the sad case.
Medina, who works at the Polvo’s Mexican restaurant, is said to have served alcohol to the customer who was already heavily drunk, according to a statement from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission that has been investigating the matter.
TABC Executive Director Bentley Nettles said the following on the arrest: “This is an extremely tragic case that could have been prevented if the people involved had done the right thing. The driver must be held accountable, and so must the person who kept serving an intoxicated individual. Alcohol retailers and their employees need to understand that they are the first line of defense when it comes to stopping a DWI fatality before it happens.”
Cagle’s body had gone through the windshield and landed in the passenger seat.
