Texas Deputy Constable, Daughter Killed in Impaired Driver Crash

A Texas deputy constable and her 7-year-old daughter were killed when they were struck by an allegedly impaired driver while at the scene of a previous crash early Friday.

The incident happened at about 3 a.m. while Harris County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable Katherine Hutson, 46, was on a traffic safety detail for a Texas Department of Transportation work site, Precinct 5 Contable Ted Heap stated in an online post. Hutson, a veteran constable and a single mom who was off duty at the time, "was working an extra job … ensuring the safety of maintenance workers during a traffic road closure," he added.

Hutson and her 7-year-old daughter were in her personal vehicle when it was struck from behind by a suspected impaired driver. The car burst into flames, and Huston and her daughter died at the scene.

“It was a bad accident and the fire was intense,” Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Adrian Rodriguez said at a press conference after the conference, according to Houston Public Media. 

“This is a very tragic scene that we have, and our hearts and prayers go out to the individuals that were lost, and their family members that are going to have to deal with this tragic scene," he added.

The passenger of the vehicle the struck Hutson's car and a highway worker were taken to the hospital following the crash. The 23-year-old driver appeared impaired at the time of the crash, and he faces criminal charges.

Hutson served as a deputy constable for 18 years in the Civil Division. Law enforcement officers from around the area escorted the bodies of Hutson and her daughter to the medical examiner's office Friday.

“Katherine was a loving and caring mother as well as a dedicated deputy,” 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.”