DENISON, TX (11/22/2015) — A drunk driver struck a local fast food restaurant on Sunday morning resulting in serious injury to employee Vanessa Wester.
Police stated that 69-year-old Ernest Burns was driving while intoxicated along Austin Street when he slammed his vehicle into a Sonic® Drive-In in Denison, Texas on Sunday at around 10:15 a.m. The accident caused major structural damage and left one employee with serious grease burns.
Vanessa Wester, an assistant manager at Sonic, suffered second degree burns to her leg and back and was hospitalized for treatment. She is unsure when she will be well enough to return to work.
“The wall where he hit is where our fryers were,” said Vanessa Wester. “When he hit it, it moved the equipment forward and caused the grease to slosh out on my back.”
According to Denison police, Burns fled the scene following the accident, however he was arrested shortly afterward. He is facing charges of intoxicated assault, injury accident, and DWI.
Commentary
It’s a sad statistic, but Texas leads the nation in drunk driving accidents. The fact that this accident occurred at 10:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning serves as a reminder to always stay alert and look out for other drivers on the road. Unfortunately, as this case demonstrates, it’s not only other drivers who are at risk. We urge everyone out there not only to refrain from driving while intoxicated, but also to report unsafe or reckless driving to the authorities.
