Pasadena PD officer resigns, charged with DWI after crashing into Houston officer’s patrol car
HOUSTON - Authorities say a Pasadena PD officer, who crashed into a Houston Police Department officer's patrol car in south Houston has resigned and been charged with DWI.
It happened on April 14th around 2:42 a.m. in the 6000 block of the S South Houston Parkway E.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Houston officer’s patrol vehicle rear-ended by off-duty Pasadena officer: HPD
Houston police officers were called out to a report of a stalled vehicle in a moving lane of traffic on the feeder road. Police say the driver was passed out in the vehicle.
One HPD officer parked directly behind the stalled vehicle, and another Houston officer blocked a middle lane of traffic; both had their emergency lights activated. While the officer parked in the middle lane was in his vehicle, an off-duty Pasadena police officer, later identified as Elias Vega, reportedly hit the back of the patrol vehicle with his pickup truck.
Officials say both officers involved in the crash were walking around afterward, but the Houston officer felt an injury to his head and was taken to the hospital. The off-duty officer was also hospitalized for further evaluation but later placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation by HPD.
On Thursday, authorities with Pasadena PD released a press release saying Vega submitted his resignation. We're told he had been with the department since July 2019 and was assigned to the patrol division before he resigned.
Shortly after his resignation, Pasadena PD added in the release, "we were notified that Vega has been charged with the offense of Driving While Intoxicated."
No other information has been released, as of this writing.