September 16, 2009

We are learning more about a major accident involving a bicyclist and a suspected drunk driver. According to court records, that driver, 57 year old Robert Clement has had six prior run-ins with police including three previous DWI arrests.

The victim, 34 year old Glenn "Scott" Westfall is in ICU in serious condition. His neighbors tell us he works at Stripes and his wife at Whataburger. He doesn't have a car, nor did his wife, Sheila. The pair was riding together, a five mile trek to her work, when this accident happened.

Police say 57 year old Robert Clement failed this field sobriety test. Taken away in handcuffs, Clement later consented to a blood draw. Blood alcohol results will be known in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, Corpus Christi Police Traffic Investigators like Sgt. Dave Schwartz must dissect what happened.

He explained how it appears the cyclist, Westfall was going southbound on the sidewalk down Rodd Field, and as Clement was pulling his truck and boat trailer out of a gas station the two collided.

Sgt. Schwartz pointed out there is tall landscape that could have hindered the view, yet the suspicion is, that the victim wouldn't have suffered such severe injuries if Clement hadn't been intoxicated.

Police say Clement drove 400 feet with Westfall tangled underneath his boat trailer.

"The driver of another vehicle had to actually pull up next to him on his passenger side reach out his driver side window and bang on his passenger side window glass to get him to stop," said Sgt. Schwartz.  "The witness told me it was one of the worst things he saw in his whole life."

Westfall's wife apparently witnessed the accident. She reportedly layed her own bike down to run after the truck and trailer. Westfall suffered severe injuries to his arm, face, neck, upper chest, a broken jaw. He's expected to require multiple surgeries.