VIDEO: Texas Deputy Has Close Call With Drunk Driver
By Anna Gallegos
September 9, 2021
A Harris County deputy is lucky to be alive after a close call on a Houston highway.
Deputy Aaron Gonzales was dispatched in the early hours of September 1 to help a driver whose car broke down in the 600 block of the West Sam Houston Parkway.
In a video released by the the Harris County Constable Precinct 5, you can see Gonzales moving his cruiser to block the lane that the disabled car is in so a tow truck can safely take it away.
Afterwards, the deputy moves to the shoulder of the road with the car's driver and passenger. Gonzales then notices a black SUV heading in his direction so uses his flashlight to get their attention.
The SUV driver doesn't notice and continues to speed toward the deputy. Gonzales leaps over the road's barrier to avoid the SUV, which narrowly misses him and the two people who were in the disabled car.
The deputy seriously injured his back from the fall, but is expected to recover, according to Harris County Constable Precinct 5. Luckily, no one else on the road was injured.
Authorities found the SUV driver shortly after blowing past the deputy. She was identified as Jessica Maria Wong and faces felony charges of driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
Close Call A Precinct 5 deputy is out of the hospital and recovering after a close call with a suspected drunk driver on the West Sam Houston Parkway. Deputy Aaron Gonzales stopped to assist a stranded motorist in the pre-dawn hours of September 1 in the 600 block of the West Sam Houston Parkway. As the motorist's vehicle was being hooked to a tow truck, a black SUV entering the tollway zoomed by at high speed on the shoulder, nearly striking the deputy and the car's occupants. Deputy Gonzales leaped over the retaining barrier to avoid being hit and suffered a serious back injury. He is expected to make a full recovery. A few minutes later, Precinct 5 deputies located the vehicle near the Katy Freeway and Gessner Rd. The driver, Jessica Maria Wong, 34, was arrested on felony charges of driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. Constable Ted Heap reminds drivers to move over or slow down whenever they come upon any emergency responders or work crews using visual signals or flashing lights on the roadside. State law requires drivers to move over or slow to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. Drivers who fail to give emergency and work crews space to safely do their jobs can receive a ticket with a fine of up to $200. If there is a crash that causes injury to a worker, drivers can be fined up to $2,000. Connect with Precinct 5 here: Facebook: Ted Heap, Harris County Constable Precinct 5 Instagram: Ted.Heap.Constable Twitter: @HCpct5
Posted by Ted Heap, Harris County Constable Precinct 5 on Tuesday, September 7, 2021