Records share new details on crashes before Montgomery County deputy's death

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - New court records are revealing details of what led up to the death of Montgomery County Deputy Erika Serrato, who was struck by a vehicle while on duty.

Montgomery County deputy killed

The backstory:

Deputy Erika Serrato was initially on the scene of a separate crash at about 2:30 a.m. last Sunday on I-45 in The Woodlands.

The sheriff's office says deputies were investigating and directing traffic when a Freightliner truck towing a trailer struck Dept. Serrato and a patrol vehicle, among other vehicles.

The deputy was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

Four other people were injured in the crash involving the Freightliner, including another Montgomery County deputy.

Three people have since been charged in connection to the incident:

1. Oluwatobiloba Sofela — Collision Causing Injury, Tampering with Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair
2. Ian Perez — charged with Passing Certain Vehicles Causing Bodily Injury
3. Ashton Jammer — Driving While Intoxicated

New alleged details

Dig deeper:

According to Montgomery County records for Sofela's arrest, there were two other crashes at the scene before the crash that killed Deputy Serrato.

First crash

Records say Sofela was speeding in a Tesla Model Y in the northbound lanes of I-45 when he crossed lanes and struck a Toyota Camry.

After the entire incident, an investigator reportedly gathered footage from the Tesla and from businesses near the crash site. It was then determined that after the initial crash, Sofela took the license plates off the Tesla, ran from the scene, and later reported his Tesla stolen.

When a DPS Trooper visited Sofela at his home, he allegedly denied that he was involved in the crash. He also claimed his Tesla was stolen in Downtown Houston the night of the crash while he was visiting a friend.

Second crash

The Camry that was hit in the first crash ended up stopping in the middle of I-45. Two other vehicles, including a Dodge Charger, stopped on the shoulder of the highway to help the Camry driver.

While the Good Samaritans were at the scene, a Ford F250 allegedly struck the Camry. The Ford then reportedly struck the left-side guard wall of the highway, then the Dodge Charger before crossing all the interstate lanes and hitting a guard rail on the right side. 

Records say the Camry driver was not in the vehicle when it was hit by the Ford. The driver told authorities that their injuries came from the crash involving the Tesla.

Third crash

Deputy Erika Serrato and at least one other deputy responded to the scene to investigate the crashes and direct traffic. Officials say Deputy Serrato's vehicle had its emergency lights on at this time.

While the deputy was directing traffic, a Freightliner failed to move lanes, hitting Deputy Serrato and her vehicle along with another deputy's vehicle.

That other deputy was hospitalized for his injuries and has since been released.

At the crash, the driver of the Freightliner, identified as Ian Perez, said he had fallen asleep behind the wheel. He woke up in time to see the emergency lights, but not in time to avoid Deputy Serrato.

What we don't know:

Ashton Jammer's alleged involvement in these incidents remains unclear.