Montgomery County deputy patrol car hit during possible DWI traffic stop on I-45
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - A routine traffic stop by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office turned dangerous along the North Freeway early Saturday morning when a passing vehicle crashed into a deputy's vehicle, sending one deputy to the hospital.
Hit-and-run crash on I-45
What we know:
During the early morning hours on Saturday, a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped a driver, now identified as 24-year-old Jacob Zamora, along I-45 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
A second deputy arrived to help block traffic for the other deputy and parked their marked patrol cruiser with its emergency lights fully activated. As the deputy started getting out of the car, a passing vehicle failed to move over or slow down, and crashed into the open door of the patrol vehicle.
Rather than stopping to render aid, the driver took off, officials said.
Deputies quickly tracked the car to its registered address. Investigators located the vehicle with damage matching the crash and identified the owner, 33-year-old Elizabeth Perez, as the driver.
Both Perez and Zamora were taken into custody and booked into the Montgomery County Jail.
Perez faces felony charges for failure to stop and render aid, passing an emergency vehicle causing bodily injury, and driving while intoxicated. Zamora was charged with driving while intoxicated.
The injured deputy was taken to an area hospital, where he was treated and later released.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by a press release from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.