The bartender who served a motorist accused last month of fatally striking a pedestrian while intoxicated and then driving to a nearby beer garden with the corpse still in his car also has been arrested in connection to the incident.

Rafael Medina, 31, of Austin, was arrested Tuesday by officials from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on a charge of selling alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person. He since has been released on a $2,500 bond.

Authorities said Medina was working at Polvo’s Mexican Restaurant on Feb. 15 when he served alcohol to Paul J. Garcia, 24, despite the fact that Garcia allegedly showed signs of intoxication. Garcia later drove away from the restaurant, officials from the state agency said.

Garcia allegedly struck a pedestrian, identified later as 55-year-old Lee M. Cagle, who suffered fatal injuries and crashed through the windshield. Still, Garcia kept driving until he got to an Austin beer garden, where patrons alerted authorities.

Local media outlets described the gruesome scene, stating in public documents and statements that Garcia’s vehicle was covered with blood and “body tissue” from the crash.

“This is an extremely tragic case that could have been prevented if the people involved had done the right thing. The driver must be held accountable and so must the person who kept serving an intoxicated individual,” TABC Executive Director Bentley Nettles said in a press release issued Wednesday. “Alcohol retailers and their employees need to understand that they are the first line of defense when it comes to stopping a DWI fatality before it happens.”

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