http://www.star-telegram.com/arlington_news/story/1217696.htmlARLINGTON — A 44-year-old man with a history of DWI arrests was in jail Saturday after, police said, he drove while intoxicated Friday night, causing a wreck that seriously injured a 2-year-old child.
Stewart Richardson of Davenport, Iowa, is facing a charge of intoxication assault with serious bodily injury, said Lt. Blake Miller, a spokesman for the Arlington Police Department. Bail had not been set by late Saturday.
According to an accident report, a 2003 Honda Accord occupied by three people was stopped at a red light in the 4900 block of South Cooper Street at Oak Village Boulevard when a northbound Ford F-250, driven by Richardson, slammed into the back of their vehicle.
The wreck, just before 11 p.m., pushed the Accord into the intersection, where it collided with a 1998 Ford Mustang occupied by one person.
A child in the Accord, identified as Abdallah Khader of Arlington, was taken by helicopter to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. The car’s driver, Fahad Khader, was taken by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital.
Richardson was treated at Medical Center of Arlington and released to authorities.
"We need to continue to get the message out about the dangers of drinking and driving," Miller said. "We have a 2-year-old fighting for his life because what appears to be a driver that habitually drives while intoxicated crashed into a family going home."
The crash was one in a series of wrecks that police are trying to counteract. Arlington has had six traffic fatalities in January and one this month. There were 27 fatal traffic accidents in Arlington in 2008. Alcohol or speed were factors in many of the fatality accidents.
This month, police initiated a crackdown designed to remove speeding and impaired drivers from Arlington roadways.
Arlington police said officers will monitor locations where wrecks tend to occur, conduct bar checks with officers from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and work the roads looking for drivers who are speeding.
"We need the public to take responsibility for drivers who won’t take responsibility for themselves," Miller said. "People tend to drink with others, and if the person who is getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is not going to be responsible, we would expect a family member or friend to keep them from getting behind the wheel if they are drunk."
This man has a history of DWI don't they take your license away after a certain many of DWI's.? I know each State is different. Once you are an habitual DWI I thought they took it away for life. I think in VA first time DWI they take it away for certain period of time but let you drive to work. I need to research VA laws into DWI.