A Texas college student’s life has been turned upside down after he suffered catastrophic burns in a fiery crash caused by an alleged drunk driver.
On Sept. 7, 19-year-old Aidan Poole was driving along I-27 in Hale County, headed back to Texas Tech’s campus, when his car was struck from behind by another vehicle. Authorities say the impact sent Aidan’s car airborne before it slammed down, igniting an explosion that left him with severe, life-altering burns.
The driver, 24-year-old Thomas Rich, was arrested by the Hale County Sheriff’s Office and charged with intoxication assault.
For Aidan’s girlfriend, Jadzia, the nightmare began with a phone call she’ll never forget. “When I answered the phone, I could just hear everything in the back. I could hear sirens. I could hear Aidan in the back crying and freaking out,” she told ABC 7. “I literally just went into complete shock.”
Aidan’s mother, Kristi Poole, said seeing her son suffering in the hospital was unbearable. “You don’t ever want to hear your child cry and scream, and just seeing all of his burns is something you never want to see,” she shared. She recalled that her son fought to escape the burning car, even managing to keep his eyes closed to protect himself from the flames.
Now in a burn unit in Lubbock, Aidan is facing multiple surgeries and battling both the physical and emotional trauma of the crash. His parents, Kristi and James, stay by his side day and night. “We get up to the hospital about 6 in the morning and just visit him for a little while. Then we head to work, then we come back here after work… we don’t leave his room,” Kristi told reporters.
A GoFundMe created to help the Poole family describes the young Texas Tech honors student as “selfless, tender-hearted, intelligent, and kind.” It also reveals the staggering aftermath of the crash: ongoing medical bills, travel expenses, legal fees, and the overwhelming costs of his long road to recovery.
Drunk driving is premeditated murder.
And as usual, we can expect the drunk driver to get a slap on the wrist and the bare minimum of punishment. While this kid is going to suffer for the rest of his life. I want to know how many times the drunk driver was already arrested and set free. Because as we know nothings actually done about drunk drivers until they kill somebody. We can think, are weak ass judges, who sit up there, and basically do nothing.
Sadly, not much will happen to the 24 year old POS who did this.
We’ve become accustomed to our criminal judicial system and the American judges who run it, being a farce.