Overview
- Deputy Erika Serrato was struck and killed while directing traffic at a multi-vehicle crash on I-45 north near The Woodlands Parkway during the early hours of Sunday, June 28.
- The motorist tied to the initial crash, 34-year-old Ashton Jammer, has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in connection with the original collision.
- Twenty-year-old Ian Perez, identified as the commercial truck driver who hit Serrato and patrol vehicles, was arrested and charged with passing certain vehicles causing bodily injury and is being held on a $10,000 bond.
- The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the probe and the Montgomery County district attorney says the investigation is ongoing and additional or enhanced charges remain possible.
- Officials and local planners note the crash occurred on a long-recognized dangerous stretch of I-45, raising renewed focus on Move Over enforcement and highway design changes to protect first responders and drivers.