Driver faces felony charges after hitting deputy's car on I-45

A Montgomery County deputy was hurt when a passing driver struck his marked patrol car on I-45 and drove away early Saturday, Oct. 24, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. The deputy was treated at a hospital and released.

The crash happened in the 14000 block of I-45, where deputies were already investigating a suspected impaired driver, according to KPRC 2, which first reported the story. A second deputy had arrived in a marked vehicle with emergency lights on and was stepping out when the passing car hit his patrol unit, the sheriff's office said. KPRC 2 and KHOU reported the vehicle was struck; ABC 13 reported the deputy and his vehicle were both hit.

Video captured the moment of impact.

The driver fled without stopping. Investigators tracked the vehicle to its registered address, where they found damage consistent with the collision, the sheriff's office said. The agency identified the vehicle's owner, 33-year-old Elizabeth Perez, as the suspected driver.

Perez was arrested on charges of felony failure to stop and render aid, passing an emergency vehicle causing bodily injury and driving while intoxicated. The driver from the original traffic stop, 24-year-old Jacob Zamora, was also arrested on a DWI charge. Both were booked into the Montgomery County Jail.

Sheriff Wesley Doolittle used the incident to remind drivers about Texas' Move Over or Slow Down law. The law requires motorists approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on to move out of the nearest lane when safe. If that is not possible, drivers must slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit.

The sheriff's office also pointed to the line-of-duty death of Deputy Erika Serrato on I-45 earlier this year. Serrato, 24, was struck and killed June 28 while directing traffic at a DWI crash scene near the Woodlands Parkway exit. A commercial truck driver was charged with violating the same Move Over law in that case.

In ABC 13's coverage of Serrato's death in June, Doolittle said he had recently promoted her: "I just pinned a badge on her chest to be a commissioned police officer in January." Serrato had served with the sheriff's office for six years, starting as a detention officer at age 18.

Drivers who witness a crash or a stranded motorist on I-45 can call 911. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line is 936-760-5800.