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Mom speaks out after daughter dies in crash involving deputy
A mother who lost her daughter in a car crash involving a Harris County deputy is finally ready to speak about the tragedy tonight. She tells FOX 26's Tiffany Justice that one of her grandchildren is still in the hospital following the crash.
HOUSTON - The mother who lost her daughter in a car crash involving a Harris County deputy spoke with FOX 26, she tells us she's now worried about her 3-year-old grandson who’s still in the hospital.
BACKGROUND: Crash during chase in NE Houston leaves woman dead; 2 children, deputy hurt
"It’s hard to deal with because I lost my baby."
The pain is still visible in the eyes of Simone Teal, the mother of Autrey Davis, who was killed after a deputy collided into her car while in pursuit of a suspected criminal.
"Every day is something, I wake up and there’s something else going on," said Teal.
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As she grapples with the death of her daughter, she is now trying to stay strong for her family and grandson, 3-year-old Kyle Johnson, who is still in the hospital after the January 12th crash.
"He’s had several brain surgeries," said Teal. "He’s not doing too well, they're going to see what capabilities he has as far as mental ability goes."
Kyle was in the car with his 2-year-old sister.
The family tells us the collision should never have happened.
"It could have been avoided, there’s no way that an officer should have been driving in a residential area that fast regardless of the circumstance," said Chalinda Johnson, First Cousin of Autrey. " He took a mother, sister, cousin and daughter, and she’s never coming back."
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HCSO chase ends in fiery crash in northeast Houston
After the initial collision between an HCSO patrol car and another vehicle, several other vehicles were also struck, authorities say. A woman died, and others – including two children and the deputy – were taken to the hospital.
The family is now being represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Houston attorney Andy Rubenstein.
According to the family attorney’s, Autrey’s death is one of four recent crashes involving law enforcement.
MORE: HCSO: Robbery suspect who led deputy on chase before deadly crash now arrested
"What we believe now, is that it didn’t have to happen. This was avoidable," said Rubenstein. "There was no immediate need to arrest this individual, and they found him the next day."