WEBSTER, Texas – Authorities have arrested a woman in connection with a Gulf Freeway crash that critically injured a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper early Monday morning.
The crash happened just before 2:30 a.m. at NASA Road 1.
According to DPS officials, Trooper Chad Blackburn was in his cruiser parked in the right emergency lane on Interstate 45 when a car slammed into the back of the cruiser.
Blackburn was seriously injured in the crash, officials said. He was taken to Clear Lake Regional Hospital for surgery, and was later moved to Memorial Hermann Hospital. He was last reported to be in critical condition.
"He did have to be cut out of the car," DPS Sgt. Richard Standifer said.
Standifer said the car crashed into the passenger's side of the vehicle, which is where Blackburn was located.
Investigators said the woman who was driving the car that hit Blackburn’s cruiser, identified as 31-year-old Tuwanna Moore, smelled of alcohol. She was not injured in the crash.
"We are actively out here in the middle of the night to get these drunk drivers off the road," Standifer said. "When we fail to do that we become victims or we become nothing more than folks trying to clean this up. Clearly, the trooper was a victim in this case."
The freeway reopened to traffic just before 8 a.m.
Officials said Moore was charged with intoxicated assault causing bodily injury to a peace officer.