Overview
- A Harris County grand jury charged Officer Michael Hightower with two counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over the Oct. 23 collision.
- ABC13 reports investigators recovered vehicle data indicating the patrol car was traveling about 95 mph in a 40 mph zone, and court records indicate emergency lights and sirens were not activated.
- The crash occurred at West Baker Road and Country Club Drive when Hightower’s marked unit struck a minivan carrying a mother and five children; the officer sustained a leg injury.
- The children who died were identified as Jude Russell, 10, and Ryver Russell, 8, with the medical examiner listing their deaths as accidental from multiple blunt impact injuries.
- Baytown police initially said Hightower had a green light while responding to a weapons call, and prosecutors cite dash-cam footage, witness statements and vehicle data as the case moves toward a court appearance next month.