Suspected Impaired Driver Collides with Deputies on Beltway 8, Causing Chain Reaction and Multiple Hospitalizations

Freeway Incident and Initial Response

• 🚨 Deputies from Harris County Precinct 4 were responding to a call about a man running on the freeway near the North Beltway at Ella Boulevard.
• 👮 After making contact and arresting the individual, placing him in the back of a patrol car, a suspected impaired driver in a pickup truck failed to stop.

Chain Reaction Crash

• 💥 The pickup truck collided with the patrol car, initiating a chain reaction that struck two deputies who were outside their vehicles.
• 🚗 The impact caused the first police car to run into a second, and then into a third, ultimately closing the entire toll road for over 5 hours.

Injuries and Hospitalizations

• 🤕 Five people were injured in the incident, including two deputy constables.
• 🚁 One deputy was airlifted with serious leg, hip, and head injuries, while the other was transported by ambulance with similar injuries.
• 🚶 The individual arrested and placed in the patrol car was also transported to the hospital, along with another person treated at the scene.

Law Enforcement Response and Plea

• ⚖️ Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman emphasized that there is no excuse for driving drunk, citing readily available alternatives like Uber, Lyft, or calling a friend.
• ⚠️ He highlighted the dangers deputies face daily and the ongoing issue of impaired drivers on public roads.

Investigation and Blood Draw

• 🩸 Investigators are working to obtain a warrant to draw the blood of the suspected impaired driver to confirm intoxication.
• 🩹 The driver of the pickup truck reportedly did not suffer serious injuries.