A severe collision on State Highway 249 involving a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy's patrol car left one woman critically injured. The incident, which took place Saturday afternoon, occurred when the deputy had stopped to assist a disabled vehicle. According to ABC13, the sheriff's office reported that the woman, while driving, crashed into the rear of the deputy's parked car.
Nearby witnesses reported that the deputy had to quickly attempt to move to safety as he saw the vehicle rapidly approach. However, his patrol car bore the impact when it was struck by the woman's car. KHOU notes Sheriff Ed Gonzalez stated, "It appeared she was possibly impaired and not wearing a seatbelt." The collision resulted in all northbound lanes on SH-249 near Cypress Road being shut down for a duration following the crash, but have since then reopened.
The woman was transported to a hospital immediately following the accident and is said to be in critical condition. No further details on her identity or the nature of her injuries have been released as of this writing. The sheriff's deputy did not sustain any injuries from the incident.
Investigations into the cause of the accident are presently underway. In the aftermath of the crash, Sheriff Gonzalez provided an update on traffic, indicating that the affected lanes were closed for approximately "about 1 to 1.5 hours," as stated to ABC13. Officials are continuing to look to determine if impairment was a factor in the woman's ability to safely drive.
