Investigators said the pickup driver showed signs of intoxication and the child was not wearing a seat belt.
HARRIS COUNTY, TX — A child younger than 12 died early Sunday after being ejected from a pickup truck that collided with a marked Harris County Sheriff’s Office vehicle in northwest Harris County, authorities said.
The crash happened about 12:40 a.m. near T.C. Jester Boulevard and Tomlinson Trail Drive. Investigators said a Toyota pickup was traveling north on T.C. Jester when its driver attempted to turn west across the path of the sheriff’s vehicle, which was traveling south. The two vehicles collided at the intersection.
The impact sent the sheriff’s vehicle into a brick entrance to a nearby subdivision and caused the pickup to spin before coming to a stop, according to investigators. The child had been riding in the pickup’s front passenger seat and was not wearing a seat belt, the sheriff’s office said.
The child was thrown from the pickup during the collision. The deputy involved in the crash began CPR at the scene, and emergency crews continued efforts to save the child. The child was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Authorities had not publicly released the child’s identity Sunday.
Investigators said the pickup driver, described as a man in his 50s or 60s, showed signs of intoxication after the crash. Authorities planned to seek a search warrant for a blood sample to determine whether the driver was impaired. The sheriff’s office said an intoxication manslaughter charge could follow if investigators determine the driver was intoxicated and the evidence supports the charge.
No such charge had been publicly announced in the reports available Sunday. Authorities also had not released the pickup driver’s name or identified the relationship between the driver and the child. The investigation remained active, and the driver’s suspected impairment had not been established by a publicly released blood-test result.
The deputy was assigned to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Response Team and had a clinician riding in the passenger seat of the sheriff’s vehicle, authorities said. Both suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital. Investigators said they were not responding to an emergency call when the collision occurred.
Investigators said they had no indication that speed contributed to the crash. Authorities planned to review available video and retrieve data from both vehicles as they worked to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision. The intersection does not have a traffic signal or stop sign controlling traffic traveling along T.C. Jester, according to investigators.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Division are investigating. As of Sunday, authorities were awaiting further evidence concerning possible intoxication and had not announced a final charging decision.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.