HOUSTON, TX – A late-night traffic response turned tragic Wednesday when two Harris County Precinct 4 deputies were struck by a suspected impaired driver on the Sam Houston Toll Road near Ella Boulevard, leaving one of them critically injured.
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Authorities say the deputies had stopped to investigate reports of a pedestrian walking in the roadway. While they were outside their patrol vehicles, a driver believed to be under the influence lost control and slammed into the deputies as well as their marked units.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene. One deputy was flown by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital and remains in critical condition. The second deputy was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Their current conditions have not yet been released.
The crash shut down a large stretch of the toll road overnight as investigators documented evidence and reconstructed the scene. Law enforcement urged commuters to steer clear of the area and keep the injured deputies in their thoughts.
Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman confirmed the collision is being investigated as an impaired driving incident, with criminal charges expected against the driver.
“This is yet another painful reminder of how dangerous impaired driving is, not only for the public but also for the officers who put their lives on the line every day,” Herman said.