Man, 29, fatally struck by HPD cruiser while riding bicycle
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - The Houston Police Department says an officer that was driving to a suicide-in-progress call struck and killed a man who was riding a bicycle.
The crash occurred as the officer was driving on North Wayside on Tuesday night. Investigators say the police cruiser struck the man on the bicycle. He did not survive his injuries.
Family members identified the bicyclist as 29-year-old Dwayne Foreman. He was a mechanic and the father of an 11-year-old boy. Family confirmed that he is related to boxing legend George Foreman.
The Houston Police Department says Dwayne Foreman, 29, died after he was struck by a police patrol car on October 8. (Family photo)
A witness gave FOX 26 new video showing the immediate aftermath of the crash. Heart-wrenching cries from the victim's mother can be heard.
“My baby! My baby,” Catrennia Sauls screams.
“At the end of the day, my child is gone," the mother said.
His friend says he rushed to his side after witnessing the crash.
“I’m watching the cop car speed by, and then I heard a crash, and then I seen something white fly in the air," Adam Hardison said.
Several agencies, including the district attorney’s office and HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Unit, responded to the scene under investigation.
Investigators are working to calculate speed and other factors in the crash. They will also look for other surveillance video in the area.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo released this statement about the crash:
Regarding the fatality crash last night involving a Houston Police Department patrol unit and a cyclist, several inquiries have been made regarding department policy relative to the use of emergency lights and siren equipment when responding to various calls for police service.
The call in this incident that officers were en route to was deemed a priority (or code) two call for service involving a potential suicide in-progress.
Pursuant to department policy, priority two calls for service represent in-progress property crimes and/or a potential threat to human welfare, and assume that if not in-progress, the event recently occurred or response to the scene is urgent. Standard response to priority two calls for service is without emergency equipment.
The standard patrol response to priority two calls is that no emergency lights or siren shall be used unless the officer has additional information justifying the use of the emergency equipment. In last night’s call, emergency equipment was not active.
As previously stated, the crash investigation will include a complete review of department policy and traffic laws relative to actions of the responding police unit and the bicyclist.