Kenyan Man Kills Person in Custody, Injures Sheriff's Deputies after He Crashes into Patrol Car in Houston, Texas
Houston, TX - A vehicle being driven by a Kenyan man crashed into a Harris county sheriff deputy patrol car on Sunday and killed another man who was being transported to jail.
Investigators say a 42-year-old man was being transported to jail for drunken driving when 39-year-old Patrick Mukuria Njogu, driving a Lexus car, slammed head-on into their patrol car as they were entering the tollway.
Harris County District Attorney’s Office say Nogu was driving on the wrong way for quite a while along Westpark Tollway when he slammed into the cruiser. "It wasn’t like a wrong turn… The information we have -- this guy was going for quite a while the wrong-way on the Westpark Tollway before he hit these three people,” said Sean Teare, of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
The arrested man died while on his way to the hospital. One of the deputies suffered two broken bones in his foot while the other suffered a concussion. Njogu suffered a broken foot in the crash that happened at 11:30pm, say authorities. Both sheriff deputies and Njogu were rushed to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.
Overnight 2 @HCSOTexas Deputies were injured and a prisoner they were transporting to jail for DWI was killed when the patrol vehicle was hit head on by another drunk driver. The suspect has 3 prior DWI convictions and has been charged with murder. #DontDrinkAndDrive #DWI pic.twitter.com/RHen0s7W1h
— Major Mike Lee (@HCSOPatrol) July 22, 2019
Authorities say Njogu’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit.
Authorities add that Njogu has multiple previous arrests for drunken driving. “It is not his first or his second or, sadly, even his third,” Teare of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said in a press conference. Records indicate Nogu has been arrested at least five times in various states in connection with drunken driving charges, including three DWI convictions Illinois and Missouri.
The District Attorney’s office says Njogu will be charged with first-degree felony murder and intoxication assault of a peace officer.