‘Career criminal’ was out on 2 bonds when DWI crash killed 3
Driver in deadly crash was out on bond for DWI
An intoxicated driver took the lives of two women and a baby when he ran a red light yesterday. Now we have questions for the people working in the courthouse as we learn the driver was already out on two bonds, one of them DWI, when he committed this deadly crime.
HOUSTON - Authorities have identified the man charged in a crash that killed three people in northwest Harris County.
Gregory Smith, 30, is charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault for the 5 people in two cars he’s accused of slamming into. Smith was already out of jail on two bonds—one of them DWI—when he committed the new deadly crime, according to court records.
“This individual is a career criminal. In the last couple of years he’s been filed on 14 times for criminal cases," said Constable Herman.
Surveillance video shows the moment Gregory Smith ran a red light on Antoine Road at the beltway in northwest Houston, causing the fiery crash that killed a grandmother, her daughter, and her three-month-old grandson. Three vehicles were involved in the crash. One of the vehicles was engulfed in flames when emergency responders arrived.
“He is responsible for snuffing out the lives of three people yesterday,” said Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.Surveillance video shows the moment Gregory Smith ran a red light on Antoine Road at Beltway 8 in Northwest Harris County, causing the fiery crash that killed a grandmother, her daughter, and her three-month-old grandson.“This is one of the most horrific accidents I’ve seen in quite some time,” said Herman.
According to court records, he was released on a $100 bond for a DWI in September. He was charged with that DWI while on bond for assaulting a jail guard.
“The way that it works is, you’re out on a bond. If you pick up a new law violation, the District Attorney’s Office files a motion to revoke the bond," said Sean Teare with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. “If you pick up a new law violation, the District Attorney’s Office files a motion to revoke the bond.”
Not only did the judge not revoke Smith’s bond for assaulting a public servant, but the judge granted a low second bond for the DWI in which he had caused a crash while high on PCP in 2019.
“Judge Draper is the judge presiding over his DWI case,” said Teare.
Commissioners court appointed criminal court Judge Genesis Draper to her position last February. Court records show she signed off on Smith’s new bond conditions in August, removing another judge’s bond conditions which would have required an ignition interlock device for driving.
“It concerns me—there’s no question,” said Teare.
“I can tell you in my 34 years of doing this business, I have never seen so many suspected criminals on our streets, and that’s just the way it is,” said Herman. “I mean these folks are having cases dismissed. They’re having low bonds and sometimes not even any bonds.”
FOX 26 did not immediately hear back from Judge Draper after calling her office for comment on the case.
Prosecutors say both of Smith’s bonds for the previous cases have now been revoked and when he gets out of the hospital for his crash injuries, they’ll try for high or no bond on this new crash case, but ultimately that’s up to the judge.