A father from Harris County has been jailed on a $1 million bond after being accused of driving under the influence and causing the car accident that killed his son.
Emanuel Camacho-Patino, 34, was taken into custody by deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at the scene of the accident on Saturday night, according to ABC 13.
Authorities alleged that Camacho-Patino failed to control his pickup truck when its back left tire blew while traveling northbound on the roadway. As a result, the vehicle spun, veered off the road into a ditch, and then flipped.
Camacho-Patino’s 10-year-old son had been riding in the passenger seat. Investigators believe he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. He was found partially ejected from the overturned vehicle. Camacho-Patino was reportedly unscathed and allegedly showed clear signs of intoxication, according to deputies at the crash site. He was charged with felony murder the following day.
If released on the $1 million bond, Camacho-Patino must surrender his passport, refrain from possessing weapons or consuming alcohol, and wear a GPS monitor.
The Texas Department of Transportation recorded 1,162 deaths statewide due to drunk driving in 2022, which accounted for more than one-quarter of all driving deaths.
In Texas, an intoxicated person causing the death of another can be charged with intoxication manslaughter, which is a second-degree felony that can carry two to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
A 26-year-old woman named Kyli Phillips faces similar charges after allegedly hitting and killing a 63-year-old man last week in Dallas while driving intoxicated, as covered by The Dallas Express.
The homicide rate in the city has been on the rise this year, with 166 incidents logged as of September 3, according to the City of Dallas crime overview dashboard.
The Dallas Police Department, which is currently facing an ongoing shortage of officers, has been dealing with significant spikes in several crime categories. The shortage has been especially felt Downtown, where the crime rate is significantly higher than in Fort Worth’s downtown area, which reportedly has a special police unit working alongside private security guards.
DPD only has about 3,100 officers on staff at present. A City report, however, recommends it maintain a force of roughly 4,000 officers.