A police car smashed into a family’s minivan, killing two young boys and seriously injuring their three sisters. The horrific accident happened just after 7pm on October 23 at an intersection in the US city of Baytown, east of Houston.
At the time of the collision, the police officer Michael Hightower was responding to an emergency call about “persons with a weapon”. As he raced to the scene, his patrol vehicle hit the family’s Honda Odyssey, which was carrying five children. The crash was described as a heartbreaking tragedy by Baytown Police Chief John Stringer.
“This is a tragedy for everyone involved and impacted by this event,” he said.
“Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with the children and family involved, as well as our officer, the officer’s family, and the Baytown officers who responded to the scene.”
In the days following the accident, the father of the family – Clint Russell – confirmed the tragic news that eight-year-old Ryver and his ten-year-old brother Jude had died.
He said that they had “passed peacefully, surrounded by the love and support of family”, after doctors were unable to detect any “brain activity”.
Mr Russell posted a powerfully moving tribute to his sons in a statement on the family’s GoFundMe page.
“Jude was a child of adventure and wonder,” he wrote. “He had an inquisitive mind and was hungry to learn about the world around him. He had such a loving and caring soul.
Ryver was a child of creativity and happiness. He radiated joy and confidence. Ryver was a people person and had a magnetic personality.”
The three girls – aged 16,14 and 3 – were also badly injured, and suffered multiple fractures and brain bleeding. The oldest remains in hospital “fighting to overcome her injuries,” while the two younger have since been discharged.
The local Baytown community has launched a campaign to raise funds to help the family financially through its heartbreaking ordeal.
Baytown Police said preliminary evidence, including dashcam footage and witness statements, shows the officer “had a green light and the right of way in the intersection where the crash occurred.”
Chief Stringer said the department’s Crash Reconstruction Team and the Harris County District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Division are investigating the incident.