A young Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy was killed in the early morning hours of Sunday after being struck by a commercial vehicle while assisting at a crash scene along Interstate 45 — a tragedy her sheriff says has left the entire department “completely heartbroken.”
Deputy Erika Serrato, 24, was providing traffic cover on the northbound lanes of I-45 near the North Freeway around 3:40 a.m. when a commercial utility vehicle slammed into her. She had responded to assist Oak Ridge Police Department officers who were already on scene investigating a suspected DWI crash that had occurred roughly 30 minutes earlier.
Serrato died at the scene. A second deputy, John Hernandez, was struck by debris from the violent collision and transported to a hospital; his injuries were not considered life-threatening. The driver of the commercial truck was also hospitalized and is expected to recover.
What makes Serrato’s death especially heartbreaking is how recently she had achieved her goal of becoming a commissioned officer. She first joined the department at just 18 years old as a detention officer, working her way up before earning her badge earlier this year.
“I just pinned a badge on her chest to be a commissioned police officer in January,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle, visibly emotional during a press conference. “She’s a good person. I am very heartbroken about this.”
In connection with the initial DWI crash, 34-year-old Ashton Jammer was arrested. Authorities indicated additional criminal charges are possible as investigators examine the full circumstances surrounding Serrato’s death.
The crash closed a section of the North Freeway for approximately 13 hours before lanes were reopened Sunday afternoon.
At the request of County Judge Mark Keough, Governor Greg Abbott ordered flags across Montgomery County lowered to half-staff in Serrato’s honor.
The investigation remains ongoing.
