Brooke Parker, 25 of Lubbock, was killed Monday night when she was involved in a head-on collision on Marsha Sharp Freeway in Lubbock, Texas. The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. and killed the other driver as well. There were no passengers in either vehicle. Authorities says Parker was headed westbound in a Nissan Rogue when a white Cadillac headed the wrong way ran into her vehicle. Police had received calls about the vehicle going the wrong way on the freeway just prior to the crash. The Cadillac was driven by Louis Marquez, 36, who was also pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities don’t yet know why Marquez was driving the wrong way on Marsha Sharp Freeway, and the accident is still under investigation.
Parker was an athletic trainer for Cooper ISD. The school district released the following statement Tuesday: “The students, staff, and administration of Lubbock-Cooper ISD are deeply saddened to learn of Brooke Parker’s passing. As an Athletic Trainer, Brooke played a vital role in the everyday lives of students at Lubbock-Cooper High School. She excelled at her ability to care for student athletes physically and emotionally, and was best known for the compassion she showed for all students. Brooke’s ever-present smile and lively personality will be greatly missed. The Lubbock-Cooper Pirate family extends our deepest condolences and prayers to Brooke’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
Crashes involving vehicles travelling the wrong direction on divided freeways often involve high levels of intoxication. If the at-fault driver became intoxicated at a bar, the bar that over served the driver could be held liable—in addition to the intoxicated driver—under what are called Dram Shop laws. The policy behind such laws is to prevent bars and bartenders—who are both profiting off intoxicating people and in a good position to judge the relative level of intoxication—from over serving people to a dangerous degree.