Trending Topics

Texas deputy, her 7-year-old daughter killed in crash with suspected DUI driver

Harris County Deputy Katherine Hutson, a single parent, was working a construction site traffic enforcement shift with her daughter in the car when the crash caused the cruiser to catch fire

Officer and her 7-year-old daughter killed in fiery crash on Texas freeway, cops say

“Katherine was a loving and caring mother as well as a dedicated deputy,” Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said in a statement. “She was a friend to many in our department, and her smile and upbeat personality will be dearly missed. I ask you all to keep her family and loved ones in your prayers.”

Officer Down Memorial Page

By Kate Linderman
Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — An off-duty deputy was parked along the shoulder of a Texas freeway, “ensuring the safety of maintenance workers,” when an “impaired” driver struck the vehicle, officials said.

Harris County Deputy Katherine Hutson was with her 7-year-old daughter when flames burst from her car and a Texas Department of Transportation truck upon impact around 3 a.m. on Nov. 22, Houston police said. The 46-year-old mom, who was working another job at the time, and her daughter died at the scene.

An hours-long investigation shut down part of Interstate 10 Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Adrian Rodriguez said in a news conference.

Five people and three vehicles were involved — the “impaired” driver, his passenger, a TXDOT worker standing outside of a truck, Hutson and her daughter, Kacey, according to Houston police and Harris County Constable Precinct 5.

The passenger and a TXDOT worker were taken to the hospital, according to Rodriguez, while the driver accused of causing the crash stayed at the scene, police said.

Rodriguez said at the news conference that the events leading up to the crash were under investigation, but Houston police later said the 23-year-old driver was “impaired” and will be facing charges, according to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police did not name the driver because formal charges had not been filed.

A Harris County Precinct 5 spokesperson told KHOU that the child was with her mother because Hutson was a single parent.

“Katherine was a loving and caring mother as well as a dedicated deputy,” Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said in a statement. “She was a friend to many in our department, and her smile and upbeat personality will be dearly missed. I ask you all to keep her family and loved ones in your prayers.”

___

(c)2024 the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
Visit the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) at www.mercedsunstar.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
The move comes after the ATF issued a warning to PDs about the risks associated with reselling their firearms
Just 25 to 30 seconds after arriving, Walton County Deputy Will May was shot multiple times during a call to escort a man out of a store
K-9
Wadesboro Police Department K-9 Blitz was killed while successfully taking down a suspect
The suspect refused to surrender and repeatedly shouted at NPS and Hawaii PD officers to shoot him, appearing to call them “demons” and telling them to leave “in Jesus’ name”