Drunk Man Arrested After Seriously Injuring Woman in Car Crash

SAN ANGELO— A San Angelo man has been arrested after a drunken car crash that seriously injured another driver.

Jacob Motl, 30, of San Angelo was arrested for intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury Sunday. 

According to court documents, on June 18, 2023, San Angelo police were called to the intersection of South Bell Street and Van Zandt Street regarding a car crash. When the investigator arrived on scene, he saw a blue Dodge Durango and a pickup truck that were involved in the crash. Both vehicles had extensive front end damage and first responders with the San Angelo Fire Department were attempted to help other individuals out of the pickup.

An officer was speaking with the driver of the Durango, who was believed to be intoxicated. A witness had said she heard the driver, Motl, say “We’re f***ed up”. The investigator approached Motl who was having a hard time standing up and was swaying back and forth. Motl said he and his girlfriend were out “cruising” and were on Loop 306 at one point. The investigator was unable to detect the smell of alcohol on Motl due to him activity smoking a cigarette and him wearing a lot of cologne.

While Motl was speaking to another officer, the investigator walked behind him and detected alcohol emitting from his person. Also, he observed a fresh bruise on his left shoulder that was the width of a seatbelt which further indicated that Motl was inside the Durango when it crashed.

The investigator took Motl to perform a field sobriety test, to which he agreed. Motl was seen staggering while walking and swaying while standing still. At the investigators police unit, Motl grabbed the push bar on the front of the vehicle to maintain his balance.

During this test, the investigator believed Motl to be under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicating substance and he was arrested. After checking on the other individuals in the pickup truck, the investigator went to take Motl to the jail. When entering his patrol unit, Motl said to the investigator that he vomited in the backseat. Motl did agree to give a breath specimen at the jail. He reportedly blew a .155 and a .148.

Motl’s driver license was not seized due to him not having it on him at the time and he was booked for intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury. The driver of the pickup truck had sustained a compound fracture to one of her ankles as a result of the crash. Motl was booked into the Tom Green County Detention Facility on June 18, 2023 and was released later that same day on $15,000 bond.