Harris County crash: Driver charged following weekend crash that killed a 9-year-old child
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A driver has been charged in connection with a weekend crash that killed a 9-year-old child.
Driver charged following weekend crash that killed 9-year-old in Harris County
According to court documents, Javier Gutierrez, 52, is charged with driving while intoxicated with a child passenger.
What we know:
The crash happened around 12:40 a.m. near Tomlinson Trail Drive, just north of Beltway 8.
According to investigators, a Harris County Sheriff's Office vehicle was driving south on T.C. Jester when a northbound Toyota pickup attempted to turn west across its path.
The two vehicles crashed, causing the patrol vehicle to collide with a brick wall at an entrance to a nearby subdivision. The impact of the crash caused the pickup to spin before coming to a stop in the southbound lanes of T.C. Jester.
A child under the age of 12 was allegedly riding without a seatbelt in the front passenger seat of the pickup and was ejected during the impact.
Officials say the deputy involved in the crash immediately went to help the child until emergency personnel arrived. The child was taken to a local hospital where they died from their injuries.
The deputy was accompanied by a mental health clinician who was in the passenger seat of the patrol vehicle. Neither was responding to an active call at the time of the collision.
Both sustained minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Toyota pickup, who has been identified as Gutierrez, showed signs of impairment at the scene, officials stated in an interview.
Investigators noted there was no initial indication that speed was a factor in the crash.
Bond for Gutierrez was set at $100,000.
What's next:
Court documents stated that a higher charge could be filed.
The Source: Previous reporting, court documents