Reckless Driver Damages Six Vehicles in Downtown Houston

According to the Houston Police Department, a car accident occurred early Sunday morning when a man crashed his car in Downtown Houston.

Six vehicles were severely damaged this past weekend after a man crashed his car on the 1000 block of Milam Street.

Witnesses reported the man was incoherent and was threatening to harm them, and himself, when they approached the scene, according to police.

Despite the mangled vehicles and reckless driving, no major injuries were reported.

Section 545.401 of the Texas Transportation Code says that a person commits reckless driving if they “drive a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” This means that grounds for reckless driving will require more than proving negligence.

To be charged with reckless driving, a driver must know that their actions are likely to cause harm and persist to do so anyway.

For example, if someone were speeding past a red light because they’re running late and on their phone, they could crash into someone else, be it another driver or pedestrian. In this instance, the driver is aware that distracted driving, speeding, and running a red light are all significant factors that can cause car crashes, yet they did so anyway.

Other driving behaviors that can constitute as reckless driving include:

Driving reckless in Texas is a misdemeanor punishable of a fine not exceeding $200, locked in the county jail for no more than 30 days, or both.   

In a 2019 report, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) concluded that:

Reckless Driver Damages Six Vehicles in Downtown Houston

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