Man Killed in Arlington Car Wreck Bartender at Rainbow Lounge

ARLINGTON -- A 41-year-old Dallas man killed in a wreck Sunday morning in Arlington that investigators suspect may have been alcohol-related had been working as a bartender the night before at the Rainbow Lounge, police officials said Monday.

Bradley Larson’s whereabouts just prior to the wreck about 6:15 a.m. Sunday are still under investigation, said Arlington police spokeswoman Tiara Ellis Richard.

"Whether or not he went somewhere after the bar and what time he left, that’s something we’re still trying to get answers to," Richard said.

Tests to determine Larson’s blood alcohol content are still pending, Richard said.

In a news release issued Sunday, Arlington police said the wreck was being investigated as a "possible DWI" because officers found alcohol inside the car.

Richard said Monday that the alcohol found in the car consisted of two closed containers.

Dallas County court records show Larson was previously convicted of driving while intoxicated in November 1999. He’d been arrested last week on a second DWI charge and possession of a controlled substance but was free on bond at the time of his death, records show.

A June 28 "bar check" of the Rainbow Lounge by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and Fort Worth police has drawn protests from gay-rights groups, who have accused officers of using excessive force. One man was seriously injured during the incident and five others were arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

Richard said Monday that, as is normal procedure, Arlington police alerted TABC about Sunday’s wreck after learning that Larson was a bartender and had been working at the Rainbow Lounge Saturday night.

"Anytime we have an accident, especially a fatality in which we believe there’s a possibility alcohol was involved, then we always investigate and try to find out where that person was last," Richard said. "If we find out they were at a bar or restaurant where they serve alcohol, then we will contact TABC."

According to witness reports to police, Larson had been driving his Honda Accord up to 100 milers per hour eastbound on Interstate 30 just before the Accord slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler truck and struck a median.

Larson was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck’s driver was not seriously injured.

Police are searching for a second vehicle, described as a small blue car, that had been seen by a witness speeding on the roadway near the Honda.